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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 116 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 · saw · key · drill · wake · wound · bound · cabinet

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — tied together
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wound — an injury
  6. drill — a practice
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. drill — the tool
  9. wake — a trail
  10. key — the most important part
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. drill — army training
  13. saw — the tool
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bound — obliged
  16. cue — a hint
  17. key — for a lock
  18. wound — an injury
  19. cue — a signal
  20. key — in music
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cue — for pool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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