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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 120 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: wake · key · cue · bear · saw · wound · stock · leaves

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. key — in music
  3. stock — goods
  4. cue — for pool
  5. bear — the animal
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. stock — shares
  8. cue — a signal
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wound — an injury
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. wound — an injury
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. key — for a lock
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. wake — a trail
  18. key — the most important part
  19. cue — a hint
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. bear — the animal
  23. saw — the tool
  24. leaves — lets stay

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