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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 116 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: bound · face · band · bowl · calf · dip · pound · bark

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. band — a music group
  5. bound — certain
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. pound — a weight
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bound — tied together
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. dip — to sink
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. face — to point toward
  23. band — a ring
  24. bound — obliged

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