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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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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: trunk · lean · bound · spell · fall · kid · bay · cue

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cue — a hint
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bound — obliged
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. fall — the season
  10. lean — thin
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. cue — a signal
  14. fall — to drop
  15. kid — child
  16. kid — to tease
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. spell — letters
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bound — certain
  23. spell — a short time
  24. spell — magic

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