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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: face · branch · pass · straw · season · land · bay · cue

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. pass — a permit
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. land — to come down
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. branch — a division
  11. land — a country
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. season — of the year
  15. face — to point toward
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. face — part of the head
  19. face — to confront
  20. season — in sport
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cue — a hint
  24. land — ground

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