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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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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: mate · present · mark · content · wake · net · leaves · cue

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — a trail
  5. net — after costs
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. cue — a signal
  10. present — there
  11. net — in sport
  12. mark — a trace
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. content — happy
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. content — the amount
  17. present — the time now
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mate — to breed
  20. net — for catching
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cue — a hint
  23. present — a gift
  24. mate — a friend

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