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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: cabinet · file · saw · bound · charge · pound · spell · pop

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. pop — soda
  4. saw — the tool
  5. file — a line of people
  6. file — a document
  7. bound — certain
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pop — music
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. charge — a price
  16. file — a tool
  17. pound — a weight
  18. spell — letters
  19. spell — magic
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bound — tied together
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. charge — in control
  24. spell — a short time

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