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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: wound · leaves · cue · bay · perch · ruler · season · mate

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cue — for pool
  6. wound — an injury
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. perch — the fish
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. mate — a friend
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. season — in sport
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. season — of the year
  20. mate — to breed
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. mate — a partner
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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