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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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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 · lean · drill · charge · wind · can · cell · band

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — a hint
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. can — to be able to
  7. charge — electricity
  8. cell — in biology
  9. drill — a practice
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. lean — to bend
  13. charge — in control
  14. lean — thin
  15. cue — for pool
  16. charge — a price
  17. band — a ring
  18. band — a music group
  19. drill — army training
  20. cell — a phone
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — moving air
  24. band — a rubber band

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