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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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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 · tube · fall · rash · firm · pound · spell · wave

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. bound — obliged
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — the season
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. tube — the underground
  8. fall — to drop
  9. rash — a series
  10. bound — tied together
  11. spell — magic
  12. rash — hasty
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. spell — a short time
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. spell — letters
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. tube — a container
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. pound — a weight
  22. firm — a company
  23. bound — certain
  24. firm — steady

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