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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: mine · fan · leaves · chest · pound · ground · suit · cue

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. ground — the earth
  3. suit — in cards
  4. mine — for digging
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. chest — a box
  7. ground — crushed
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. chest — of your body
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. suit — clothes
  13. ground — a position
  14. cue — a hint
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. chest — of your body
  19. suit — to fit
  20. pound — a weight
  21. cue — for pool
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. leaves — of a tree

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