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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 116 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: season · cue · tear · pound · mark · leaves · fan · bank

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. mark — a grade
  4. tear — from crying
  5. cue — a hint
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. bank — for money
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. bank — for money
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. season — of the year
  12. cue — for pool
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bank — of a river
  15. tear — to rip
  16. pound — a weight
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. cue — a signal
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. tear — from crying
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. season — in sport

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