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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 · fine · nail · net · mate · pound · wound · fall

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. fall — to drop
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bound — tied together
  6. mate — a partner
  7. fine — all right
  8. wound — an injury
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. fine — high quality
  11. net — for catching
  12. mate — a friend
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pound — a weight
  15. bound — certain
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bound — obliged
  21. net — in sport
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. fall — the season
  24. net — after costs

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