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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: wound · saw · bore · rash · bound · charge · pound · wind

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. charge — a price
  3. charge — electricity
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bound — obliged
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. bore — to drill
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bore — to tire
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. bound — certain
  15. saw — the tool
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. pound — a weight
  18. saw — the tool
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — an injury
  21. charge — in control
  22. wind — moving air
  23. rash — a series
  24. bore — gave birth

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