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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 116 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: present · bound · pound · hide · calf · root · shower · fine

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. present — a gift
  3. fine — high quality
  4. present — there
  5. fine — all right
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. present — the time now
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. root — of a plant
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — obliged
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bound — certain
  14. shower — rain
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. pound — a weight
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. root — the cause
  20. root — of a word
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. shower — to wash

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