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

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. pound — a weight
  3. file — a document
  4. clip — for paper
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. cell — in biology
  7. bound — tied together
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. clip — to cut
  10. wound — an injury
  11. file — a line of people
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bound — obliged
  16. clip — a video
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. cell — a phone
  20. lie — to recline
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. wound — an injury
  23. file — a tool
  24. pound — to hit hard

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