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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 · cue · cabinet · plane · wound · present · shower · wake

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. present — a gift
  3. wound — an injury
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. cue — a hint
  6. wake — a trail
  7. plane — a tool
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — tied together
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. present — the time now
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. shower — rain
  17. wound — an injury
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bound — obliged
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. present — there
  22. shower — to wash
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. plane — in geometry

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