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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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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: wound · cue · bound · stick · tube · ball · can · fan

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. cue — a hint
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. bound — certain
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. cue — a signal
  8. wound — an injury
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. cue — for pool
  11. ball — a great time
  12. bound — obliged
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. can — to be able to
  15. tube — a container
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bound — tied together
  19. ball — a dance
  20. can — a tin
  21. tube — the underground
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. wound — an injury

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