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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 120 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: pound · leaves · land · cue · saw · band · straw · pass

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. pound — a weight
  3. land — to come down
  4. band — a music group
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. cue — for pool
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. cue — a hint
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. pass — a permit
  14. land — ground
  15. cue — a signal
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. land — a country
  19. saw — the tool
  20. band — a ring
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. saw — the tool

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