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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  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 — tied together
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. spring — a coil
  9. bear — the animal
  10. spring — the season
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. spring — of water
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. pound — a weight
  18. stem — to come from
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bound — certain
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bear — the animal
  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