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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.

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: cue · deal · mark · band · leaves · fan · rash · chair

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. cue — a signal
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — a trace
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. chair — a leader
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. cue — a hint
  17. band — a ring
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. deal — to handle
  20. rash — a series
  21. band — a music group
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — hasty
  24. cue — for pool

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