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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: fall · cue · bear · pass · mate · wave · march · leaves

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bear — the animal
  3. fall — the season
  4. bear — the animal
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. cue — a signal
  7. march — music
  8. mate — a friend
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. mate — to breed
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. fall — to drop
  15. cue — a hint
  16. march — the month
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. mate — a partner
  19. cue — for pool
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. march — the month
  24. pass — a permit

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