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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 · tear · ball · stem · bark · lie · rush · cue

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. cue — for pool
  3. lie — to recline
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a great time
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. cue — a hint
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — to rip
  14. bound — certain
  15. ball — a dance
  16. tear — from crying
  17. stem — to come from
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bound — tied together
  21. cue — a signal
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bound — obliged
  24. rush — to hurry

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