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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bound · bore · pound · roll · pitch · lie · face · row

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. bound — obliged
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. roll — a cake
  8. bound — tied together
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — a weight
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. face — to point toward
  13. face — to confront
  14. row — a line
  15. bore — to drill
  16. lie — to recline
  17. bound — certain
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. bore — to tire
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. roll — a list
  23. pitch — completely
  24. row — a quarrel

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