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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: wave · season · bound · mate · rest · fork · cue · track

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. track — a path
  3. rest — what's left
  4. cue — a signal
  5. season — of the year
  6. mate — a partner
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. bound — certain
  9. bound — obliged
  10. rest — what's left
  11. cue — for pool
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. cue — a hint
  14. track — a song
  15. mate — a friend
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. track — to keep track
  18. mate — to breed
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. season — in sport
  21. fork — in a road
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. rest — a break
  24. wave — 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