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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. pound — a weight
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. bound — certain
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. stem — to come from
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. bound — tied together
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. mark — a trace
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. hand — help
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. mark — a grade
  23. bound — obliged
  24. pound — for dogs

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