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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: hide · snap · branch · season · leaves · cue · pop · straw

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. cue — a signal
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a hint
  8. season — of the year
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. snap — to click
  12. pop — to visit
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. pop — soda
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. branch — a division
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. season — in sport
  24. pop — music

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