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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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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 · bound · content · foot · lash · bowl · cell · mouse

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. bound — tied together
  5. pound — a weight
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bound — obliged
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. cell — in biology
  11. content — happy
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. foot — a measure
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. cell — a phone
  21. content — the amount
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. pound — to hit hard

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