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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bound · bear · straw · pound · rest · suit

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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. pound — for dogs
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bear — the animal
  7. rest — a break
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bear — the animal
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. suit — in cards
  12. suit — to fit
  13. pound — a weight
  14. bound — obliged
  15. suit — clothes
  16. rest — what's left
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. bear — to put up with

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