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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 · key · hide · bound · bear · rock · pound · dip

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. rock — music
  3. bound — obliged
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. dip — to sink
  12. key — the most important part
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. key — for a lock
  15. lie — to recline
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. key — in music
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. bound — certain
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. rock — a stone

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