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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: bound · pound · season · fan · drill · dip · face · wake

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. drill — army training
  3. face — to point toward
  4. pound — a weight
  5. season — in sport
  6. wake — a trail
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bound — obliged
  13. dip — to sink
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. face — to confront
  16. bound — certain
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. face — part of the head
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. drill — a practice
  24. season — of the year

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