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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.

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: cell · cue · field · sharp · mouse · safe · bear · bound

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  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 — obliged
  2. sharp — clever
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bear — the animal
  7. cell — in biology
  8. cell — a phone
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. field — farmland
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. bear — the animal
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. cue — a hint
  16. field — for sport
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bound — certain
  19. cue — a signal
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. field — a subject
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. sharp — exactly
  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