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

Word bank: cue · bank · rest · mark · staff · bay

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. bank — of a river
  4. cue — a signal
  5. mark — a grade
  6. bank — for money
  7. cue — for pool
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. staff — employees
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. staff — employees
  14. bank — for money
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. rest — a break
  18. staff — a stick

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