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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: pound · plane · lean · mine · tube · rule · bound · ball

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. ball — a great time
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. bound — tied together
  7. lean — to bend
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rule — government
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. tube — the underground
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mine — for digging
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. lean — thin
  17. rule — a law
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. plane — a tool
  20. bound — certain
  21. ball — a dance
  22. bound — obliged
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. mine — belonging to me

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