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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. bore — to drill
  7. lie — to recline
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. file — a line of people
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bear — the animal
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. file — a document
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bear — the animal
  19. file — a tool
  20. bound — tied together
  21. pound — a weight
  22. snap — to click
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bound — certain

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