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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. scale — in music
  3. pound — a weight
  4. lean — thin
  5. lean — to bend
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. scale — size or range
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bound — certain
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. rock — music
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. bark — to shout
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. patient — a sick person

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