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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: land · lean · wax · scale · rush · bass · pound · bound

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lean — thin
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. bound — certain
  7. land — ground
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bass — low music
  10. scale — in music
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. bound — tied together
  17. land — a country
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. wax — to grow
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bass — the fish
  22. scale — size or range
  23. pound — a weight
  24. scale — for weighing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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