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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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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: land · cue · saw · snap · roll · cabinet · present · bay

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. cue — a signal
  3. snap — to click
  4. roll — a cake
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. land — a country
  11. land — to come down
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. present — a gift
  14. saw — the tool
  15. land — ground
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. roll — a list
  19. present — there
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cue — for pool
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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