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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: cabinet · fork · row · wave · pop · can · bound · wound

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. can — a tin
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pop — soda
  6. row — a line
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. can — a tin
  11. pop — music
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. bound — obliged
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bound — tied together
  18. wound — an injury
  19. can — to be able to
  20. row — to paddle
  21. fork — in a road
  22. wound — an injury
  23. pop — to visit
  24. row — a quarrel

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