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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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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: cap · mine · bound · cell · mouse · saw · bay · cue

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bound — tied together
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. cap — a hat
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mine — for digging
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. cue — for pool
  9. bound — certain
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. cue — a hint
  12. cap — of ice
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. saw — the tool
  16. cue — a signal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. cap — a lid
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. cell — in biology
  22. cell — a phone
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. cell — in a prison

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