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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. last — finally
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bass — low music
  8. pass — a permit
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. last — final
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. bass — the fish
  14. season — in sport
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. bank — for money
  17. season — of the year
  18. bank — of a river
  19. last — to go on
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. kick — in football
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cue — for pool
  24. bank — for money

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