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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: cue · fork · bank · season · hand · snap · leaves · last

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. last — to go on
  4. season — of the year
  5. cue — a signal
  6. bank — for money
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. hand — help
  9. last — final
  10. fork — in a road
  11. bank — of a river
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. season — in sport
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. last — finally
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. cue — a hint
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bank — for money
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. snap — to click
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. hand — in cards

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