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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: can · bound · bark · pound · patient · wave · nail · bat

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  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. bark — to shout
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. pound — a weight
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. can — a tin
  14. bound — tied together
  15. can — a tin
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bound — certain
  20. can — to be able to
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bat — the animal
  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