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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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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: lie · saw · plane · pound · bass · bound · kid · ball

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. ball — a great time
  5. kid — child
  6. bass — the fish
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. kid — to tease
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. pound — a weight
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bound — certain
  15. plane — a tool
  16. ball — a dance
  17. lie — to recline
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. bound — obliged
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bass — low music
  23. saw — the tool
  24. pound — to hit hard

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