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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. degree — an amount
  4. degree — temperature
  5. cue — a hint
  6. land — ground
  7. land — a country
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. pass — a permit
  12. degree — from a university
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. land — to come down
  15. branch — a division
  16. cue — for pool
  17. bore — to drill
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. bay — a horse colour

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