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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: pop · tear · lash · rock · pound · stick · ball · bound

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. tear — to rip
  3. pound — a weight
  4. ball — a dance
  5. bound — certain
  6. ball — a great time
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. tear — from crying
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pop — soda
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. bound — obliged
  14. rock — a stone
  15. pop — to visit
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. pop — music
  18. tear — from crying
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. rock — music
  23. bound — tied together
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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