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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: ruler · cue · row · season · leaves · saw · mark · sharp

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. season — of the year
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. row — a line
  6. saw — the tool
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. cue — for pool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. cue — a signal
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. sharp — clever
  18. mark — a trace
  19. cue — a hint
  20. row — to paddle
  21. season — in sport
  22. mark — a grade
  23. leaves — lets stay
  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