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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: lie · bound · can · pop · arm · fall · pound · plane

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. plane — a tool
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bound — tied together
  6. can — a tin
  7. fall — to drop
  8. can — a tin
  9. pound — a weight
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. bound — certain
  14. fall — the season
  15. bound — obliged
  16. lie — to recline
  17. fall — to drop
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pop — music
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. lie — an untruth

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