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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 120 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 · saw · track · bear · wound · bound · dip · coach

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wound — an injury
  4. track — a path
  5. pound — a weight
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bound — obliged
  8. wound — an injury
  9. track — to keep track
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. dip — to sink
  15. bear — the animal
  16. saw — the tool
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bound — certain
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. track — a song
  24. bear — to put up with

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