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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 120 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: wind · land · bowl · cue · bound · arm · safe · content

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — moving air
  4. land — a country
  5. cue — a signal
  6. content — the amount
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. bound — obliged
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. cue — a hint
  12. cue — for pool
  13. content — happy
  14. land — ground
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. land — to come down
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bound — tied together

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