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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.

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: bound · coach · lie · bear · pound · temple · row · tube

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. row — a line
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. lie — to recline
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — obliged
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. tube — a container
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. bear — the animal
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — the underground
  20. row — to paddle
  21. pound — a weight
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bound — certain
  24. row — a quarrel

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