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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 116 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: march · wake · cue · tear · row · leaves · rush · saw

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a hint
  6. rush — hurry
  7. saw — the tool
  8. row — a line
  9. tear — from crying
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. saw — the tool
  13. march — the month
  14. row — to paddle
  15. march — the month
  16. tear — from crying
  17. wake — a trail
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. march — music
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. tear — to rip
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. cue — a signal
  24. rush — to hurry

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