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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: race · cue · leaves · wake · bound · plane · mate · roll

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — obliged
  3. mate — a friend
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. plane — a tool
  6. race — the arms race
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bound — tied together
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. cue — a signal
  12. roll — a cake
  13. cue — for pool
  14. mate — a partner
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. mate — to breed
  17. race — humankind
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. race — a contest
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. roll — a list
  24. cue — a hint

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