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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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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. cue — a signal
  3. bore — to tire
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. season — in sport
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. game — a match
  10. season — of the year
  11. game — wild animals
  12. suit — to fit
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. suit — in cards
  16. suit — clothes
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bore — to drill
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. branch — a division
  24. cue — a hint

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