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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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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: leaves · cue · patient · wave · fine · wake · pass · straw

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. cue — a signal
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. cue — for pool
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. wake — a trail
  14. cue — a hint
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fine — all right
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. pass — a permit
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. patient — a sick person

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