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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: bound · stick · face · mug · wind · pop · pound · band

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. mug — to rob
  3. pound — a weight
  4. face — to point toward
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. face — part of the head
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bound — tied together
  9. face — to confront
  10. wind — moving air
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pop — to visit
  13. band — a music group
  14. bound — obliged
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. band — a ring
  17. pop — music
  18. wind — moving air
  19. mug — a face
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. mug — a cup
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. bound — certain

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