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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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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: fall · bound · row · key · pound · lie · rock · rush

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bound — obliged
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. bound — certain
  6. fall — to drop
  7. rock — music
  8. rush — hurry
  9. row — to paddle
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. row — a line
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. key — for a lock
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. key — the most important part
  19. lie — to recline
  20. pound — a weight
  21. bound — tied together
  22. key — in music
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. pound — to hit hard

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