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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: squash · cabinet · current · board · pound · bound · file · tear

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bound — certain
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. file — a line of people
  7. board — to get on
  8. squash — to crush
  9. file — a document
  10. tear — from crying
  11. pound — a weight
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. bound — obliged
  14. current — electric
  15. current — happening now
  16. bound — tied together
  17. squash — the sport
  18. current — of water
  19. tear — to rip
  20. file — a tool
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. tear — from crying
  24. board — a committee

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