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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: bound · bear · straw · pound · rest · suit · scale · can

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bound — obliged
  3. rest — what's left
  4. scale — size or range
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. rest — what's left
  7. suit — to fit
  8. pound — a weight
  9. suit — clothes
  10. can — a tin
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bound — tied together
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. rest — a break
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. scale — in music
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bound — certain
  21. can — a tin
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. bear — the animal

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