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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: fall · pound · spell · bound · mug · stand · stem · date

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — magic
  6. mug — to rob
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. spell — a short time
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — the fruit
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. bound — obliged
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. mug — a face
  16. fall — the season
  17. pound — a weight
  18. fall — to drop
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. stand — to bear
  21. mug — a cup
  22. fall — to drop
  23. stand — for spectators
  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