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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: mark · root · chest · can · bound · mouse · wound · pound

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. can — a tin
  3. root — of a word
  4. root — the cause
  5. bound — certain
  6. wound — an injury
  7. mark — a trace
  8. chest — a box
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mark — a grade
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. can — a tin
  17. pound — a weight
  18. wound — an injury
  19. root — of a plant
  20. bound — obliged
  21. can — to be able to
  22. bound — tied together
  23. chest — of your body
  24. mouse — the animal

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