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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. bound — obliged
  3. rock — music
  4. march — music
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bound — certain
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cue — for pool
  9. rock — a stone
  10. bore — to tire
  11. lean — thin
  12. pound — a weight
  13. vault — a safe
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. march — the month
  17. march — the month
  18. lean — to bend
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. bound — tied together
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. lean — to rest against

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