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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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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: lean · bark · wave · lie · cue · pound · net · bound

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. net — for catching
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. cue — for pool
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. cue — a signal
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. net — in sport
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bark — to shout
  16. lie — to recline
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. net — after costs
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pound — a weight
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bound — certain

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