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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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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. mate — to breed
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. rest — a break
  6. bank — for money
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. mate — a partner
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mate — a friend
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. bank — of a river
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. ball — a dance
  16. rest — what's left
  17. cue — for pool
  18. stem — to come from
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. cue — a hint
  21. rest — what's left
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bank — for money
  24. ball — a great time

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