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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: net · foot · hide · kick · present · pound · bound · toast

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  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. present — there
  2. kick — in football
  3. bound — obliged
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. net — after costs
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. net — for catching
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. foot — a measure
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pound — a weight
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. net — in sport
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — the time now
  19. toast — bread
  20. bound — tied together
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. bound — certain
  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