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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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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 · pound · stand · stem · tear · mug · dip · chest

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — a box
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. mug — a cup
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. bound — certain
  8. chest — of your body
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. mug — a face
  11. pound — a weight
  12. tear — from crying
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. dip — to sink
  15. bound — tied together
  16. mug — to rob
  17. tear — from crying
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. stand — to bear
  20. tear — to rip
  21. bound — obliged
  22. stem — to come from
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. stand — for spectators

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