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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cue · suit · temple · press · stock · band · spell · tear

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. spell — letters
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. tear — from crying
  5. press — newspapers
  6. cue — a signal
  7. suit — clothes
  8. press — to push
  9. suit — to fit
  10. spell — a short time
  11. press — a publisher
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. band — a music group
  14. tear — to rip
  15. stock — goods
  16. band — a ring
  17. spell — magic
  18. suit — in cards
  19. cue — a hint
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. stock — shares
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. tear — from crying

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com