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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 · wax · row · ball · deal · wound · suit

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. suit — in cards
  4. wax — to grow
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. bound — tied together
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. suit — clothes
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — certain
  13. wound — an injury
  14. ball — a great time
  15. pound — a weight
  16. row — to paddle
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. deal — to handle
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. suit — to fit
  21. wound — an injury
  22. row — a line
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. ball — a dance

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