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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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Word bank
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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: firm · face · bore · bark · spell · pound · band · stand

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. bore — to drill
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. band — a ring
  5. firm — a company
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. pound — a weight
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. spell — a short time
  11. firm — decided
  12. firm — steady
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. face — to point toward
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bore — to tire
  20. face — part of the head
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — magic
  23. face — to confront
  24. band — a music group

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