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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fan · rule · track · bound · stem · mark · wave · pound

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. track — a song
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. bound — obliged
  6. mark — a grade
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. bound — certain
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. stem — to come from
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rule — a law
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. rule — government
  18. track — a path
  19. pound — a weight
  20. mark — a trace
  21. bound — tied together
  22. track — to keep track
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. fan — to cool the air

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