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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
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: band · chip · saw · spring · season · file · cue · bay

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. file — a document
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. chip — for betting
  7. cue — a hint
  8. season — of the year
  9. band — a music group
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. chip — to eat
  12. file — a tool
  13. spring — a coil
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. file — a line of people
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. season — in sport
  18. cue — for pool
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. spring — the season
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. spring — of water
  23. saw — the tool
  24. cue — a signal

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