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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: wind · bound · nail · calf · track · bore · current · pound

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. track — a song
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bound — obliged
  5. pound — a weight
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. bound — certain
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. current — happening now
  13. bound — tied together
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. wind — moving air
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bore — to tire
  19. current — of water
  20. track — to keep track
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bore — to drill
  23. track — a path
  24. current — electric

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