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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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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. rock — a stone
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. wound — an injury
  8. rock — music
  9. file — a document
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. board — to get on
  12. lean — to bend
  13. board — a committee
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. band — a ring
  18. file — a tool
  19. band — a music group
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. wound — an injury
  23. file — a line of people
  24. lean — thin

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