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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mark · snap · cap · press · land · stock · face · cue

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. cue — a hint
  3. land — to come down
  4. cap — a lid
  5. mark — a grade
  6. face — to point toward
  7. stock — goods
  8. face — to confront
  9. press — newspapers
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. press — to push
  12. stock — shares
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cue — for pool
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. face — part of the head
  18. land — a country
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. mark — a trace
  21. cap — of ice
  22. press — a publisher
  23. snap — to click
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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