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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: cue · bound · roll · lie · spring · lean · bay · tube

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. tube — a container
  3. lie — to recline
  4. cue — for pool
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. bound — certain
  8. cue — a hint
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. tube — the underground
  11. roll — a list
  12. bound — tied together
  13. roll — a cake
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. spring — the season
  16. spring — of water
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lean — to bend
  19. bound — obliged
  20. lean — thin
  21. cue — a signal
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. spring — a coil
  24. lie — an untruth

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