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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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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: lean · perch · stick · spell · pound · fall · bound · cue

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. perch — the fish
  3. pound — a weight
  4. lean — to bend
  5. cue — a hint
  6. spell — magic
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. spell — a short time
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. spell — letters
  11. bound — tied together
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. cue — for pool
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bound — certain
  16. fall — to drop
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. cue — a signal
  19. fall — the season
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. fall — to drop
  23. lean — thin
  24. perch — for a bird

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