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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.

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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: nail · stem · kick · bound · pound · prune · wind · pass

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. prune — to trim
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — moving air
  9. kick — in football
  10. bound — tied together
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pass — a permit
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. stem — to come from
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bound — certain
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. nail — for a hammer

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