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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: saw · bay · cue · snap · season · present · perch · mine

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. cue — for pool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — in sport
  7. snap — to click
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. cue — a hint
  12. present — there
  13. perch — the fish
  14. present — the time now
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. saw — the tool
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. cue — a signal

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