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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: wake · season · cue · bear · rest · wound · bat · rock

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. wound — an injury
  10. cue — a hint
  11. wake — a trail
  12. season — of the year
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wound — an injury
  16. cue — for pool
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. season — in sport
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rock — music
  21. cue — a signal
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rest — a break

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