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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.

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: shower · press · season · leaves · bay · bark · mate · cue

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. season — of the year
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bark — to shout
  11. season — in sport
  12. mate — to breed
  13. shower — rain
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. press — to push
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. mate — a partner
  19. press — a publisher
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cue — a hint
  22. mate — a friend
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. shower — to wash

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