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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: pass · present · foot · mouse · mine · branch · cue · rush

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. foot — a measure
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cue — a hint
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. present — there
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. mine — for digging
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. pass — a permit
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. cue — for pool
  17. present — the time now
  18. present — a gift
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. branch — a division
  24. pass — to spend 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