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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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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 · charge · trunk · wake · pound · key · rock · lean

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. rock — music
  3. bound — certain
  4. charge — electricity
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. bound — obliged
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. bound — tied together
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. rock — a stone
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. lean — to bend
  15. key — for a lock
  16. charge — in control
  17. wake — a trail
  18. key — the most important part
  19. pound — a weight
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. key — in music
  24. charge — a price

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