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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: sharp · bay · ball · leaves · cue · bank · cold · last

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. last — to go on
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. cold — not warm
  5. cue — for pool
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. bank — for money
  8. cue — a hint
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. cue — a signal
  14. bank — for money
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. sharp — clever
  19. cold — an illness
  20. ball — a dance
  21. bank — of a river
  22. last — finally
  23. last — final
  24. ball — a great time

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