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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. bound — certain
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. current — happening now
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pound — a weight
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — obliged
  15. current — of water
  16. hand — in cards
  17. hand — help
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. lie — to recline
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. current — electric
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — for a hammer

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