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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: lean · bound · board · cue · race · perch · tube · sharp

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. lean — thin
  5. race — the arms race
  6. race — humankind
  7. bound — tied together
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. race — a contest
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bound — certain
  14. board — a committee
  15. lean — to bend
  16. tube — a container
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. tube — the underground
  19. board — to get on
  20. cue — a signal
  21. perch — the fish
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. cue — a hint
  24. sharp — clever

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