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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 120 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: cabinet · pound · race · wind · bark · bass · rest · bound

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. race — the arms race
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. wind — moving air
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bound — certain
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. bass — the fish
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. rest — a break
  21. race — a contest
  22. bound — obliged
  23. race — humankind
  24. bass — low music

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