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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
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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: season · cabinet · clip · bear · rash · cue · present · mate

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. clip — a video
  3. present — there
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. rash — a series
  7. mate — to breed
  8. cue — a hint
  9. season — in sport
  10. mate — a friend
  11. rash — hasty
  12. season — of the year
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. clip — for paper
  15. present — a gift
  16. bear — the animal
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. present — the time now
  22. mate — a partner
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. clip — to cut

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