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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: charge · chest · bound · rash · pound · arm · lean · ground

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. lean — thin
  3. ground — crushed
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. bound — obliged
  6. lean — to bend
  7. bound — certain
  8. rash — a series
  9. chest — a box
  10. chest — of your body
  11. ground — a position
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. charge — electricity
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. charge — in control
  17. pound — a weight
  18. ground — the earth
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. rash — hasty
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. charge — a price
  24. chest — of your body

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