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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: bound · bark · cue · wake · mine · safe

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cue — a signal
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. bound — certain
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bound — tied together
  11. wake — a trail
  12. mine — for digging
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. cue — a hint
  16. bound — obliged
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — out of danger

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