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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. drill — the tool
  3. bound — certain
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. drill — army training
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. file — a line of people
  16. dip — to sink
  17. file — a tool
  18. drill — a practice
  19. file — a document
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. bound — tied together
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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