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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: hide · season · saw · deal · lean · cue · mine · wake

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. mine — for digging
  4. season — in sport
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. saw — the tool
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. season — of the year
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. cue — a hint
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. saw — the tool
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lean — thin
  20. cue — for pool
  21. wake — a trail
  22. lean — to bend
  23. cue — a signal
  24. deal — to handle

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