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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: date · lean · bay · fan · bound · season · cue · rash

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. cue — a signal
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. cue — for pool
  5. lean — to bend
  6. bound — tied together
  7. cue — a hint
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. date — the fruit
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. rash — a series
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. season — of the year
  17. bound — certain
  18. rash — hasty
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. season — in sport
  22. bound — obliged
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. date — on the calendar

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