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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — in sport
  5. rush — hurry
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. net — after costs
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. last — to go on
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. last — finally
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. cue — a hint
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. cue — for pool
  21. prune — to trim
  22. last — final
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. mouse — for a computer

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