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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: cold · mark · rest · squash · mug · drill · leaves · cue

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mug — to rob
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. drill — a practice
  6. mark — a trace
  7. rest — what's left
  8. squash — the sport
  9. cold — an illness
  10. rest — a break
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cold — not warm
  13. mark — a grade
  14. rest — what's left
  15. squash — to crush
  16. cue — a signal
  17. drill — the tool
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. mug — a face
  20. drill — army training
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. cue — a hint
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. leaves — lets stay

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