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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: mug · tube · pound · bound · face · fork · fall · file

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — tied together
  5. face — part of the head
  6. bound — obliged
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fork — in a road
  10. face — to confront
  11. file — a tool
  12. tube — the underground
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. mug — a face
  15. file — a document
  16. fall — the season
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mug — to rob
  19. file — a line of people
  20. pound — a weight
  21. tube — a container
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. pound — for dogs

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