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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 · last · face · suit · stock · stem · wind · lie

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. face — part of the head
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. face — to point toward
  6. cue — a signal
  7. wind — moving air
  8. suit — in cards
  9. cue — a hint
  10. suit — to fit
  11. stock — shares
  12. face — to confront
  13. cue — for pool
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. suit — clothes
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. wind — moving air
  19. last — to go on
  20. last — finally
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. stem — to come from
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. last — final

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