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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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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: cue · roll · bound · can · wind · pass · drill · dip

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. cue — a hint
  3. bound — obliged
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. can — a tin
  6. pass — a permit
  7. can — a tin
  8. wind — moving air
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. wind — moving air
  11. drill — a practice
  12. roll — a list
  13. roll — a cake
  14. cue — for pool
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. drill — army training
  18. can — to be able to
  19. cue — a signal
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. dip — to sink
  22. drill — the tool
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. bound — tied together

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