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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 124 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: bound · rock · mine · shower · cue · bore · ball · straw

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bore — to drill
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. cue — a hint
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. ball — a great time
  11. bound — certain
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bound — obliged
  14. rock — a stone
  15. shower — to wash
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. cue — a signal
  18. ball — a dance
  19. shower — rain
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. mine — for digging

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