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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: fall · pound · fan · file · game · bound · lean · snap

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — obliged
  3. lean — thin
  4. pound — a weight
  5. fall — the season
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. fall — to drop
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. file — a tool
  12. file — a document
  13. file — a line of people
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. game — a match
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bound — tied together
  20. fall — to drop
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. snap — to click
  23. game — wild animals
  24. lean — to bend

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