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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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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: mine · wind · bay · pass · stick · wave · cue · season

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. season — in sport
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. pass — a permit
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. cue — a hint
  10. wind — moving air
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. mine — for digging
  18. cue — for pool
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. cue — a signal
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. wave — with your hand

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