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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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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: perch · row · cell · temple · pound · squash · bound · bore

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. row — a line
  3. pound — a weight
  4. bound — certain
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bore — to tire
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bound — tied together
  11. row — to paddle
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bore — to drill
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. perch — the fish
  20. cell — in biology
  21. cell — a phone
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. bound — obliged
  24. squash — the sport

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