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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mine · track · cue · fine · lean · bay · bound · kick

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. cue — a signal
  3. track — a song
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fine — all right
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. kick — in football
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. lean — to bend
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. track — to keep track
  17. cue — a hint
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. lean — thin
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. track — a path
  22. mine — for digging
  23. bound — tied together
  24. cue — for pool

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