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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lean · wind · bore · game · wound · can · pound · scale

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. can — a tin
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. game — a match
  7. wind — moving air
  8. can — to be able to
  9. pound — a weight
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. scale — in music
  14. bore — to tire
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. scale — size or range
  18. lean — to bend
  19. bore — to drill
  20. wound — an injury
  21. can — a tin
  22. lean — thin
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. game — wild animals

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