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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: chest · pound · fan · toast · hide · cue · root · bound

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. bound — tied together
  3. root — of a plant
  4. bound — certain
  5. cue — for pool
  6. chest — of your body
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. cue — a hint
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. toast — bread
  11. bound — obliged
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chest — a box
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. root — of a word
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. root — the cause
  19. pound — a weight
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. cue — a signal

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