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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 120 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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bound — obliged
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. bound — certain
  8. track — a song
  9. wind — moving air
  10. rule — a law
  11. stand — to bear
  12. rule — government
  13. track — a path
  14. bound — tied together
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. track — to keep track
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. season — in sport
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. pound — a weight

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