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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: lie · stock · board · cue · wake · hand · wound · leaves

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. stock — goods
  5. hand — in cards
  6. cue — for pool
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. board — a committee
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. stock — shares
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. wound — an injury
  17. hand — help
  18. cue — a signal
  19. wake — a trail
  20. cue — a hint
  21. wound — an injury
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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