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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: hide · ball · mine · pass · bound · cue · wind · content

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bound — obliged
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bound — tied together
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. ball — a dance
  11. content — the amount
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mine — for digging
  14. pass — a permit
  15. cue — a hint
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bound — certain
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. ball — a great time
  22. wind — moving air
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. content — happy

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