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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: pound · kick · fine · club · leaves · tube · spell · wind

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. tube — the underground
  5. kick — in football
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. tube — a container
  9. wind — moving air
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. fine — high quality
  12. spell — letters
  13. club — for golf
  14. pound — a weight
  15. fine — all right
  16. club — for dancing
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. spell — magic
  21. wind — moving air
  22. club — a group
  23. spell — a short time
  24. leaves — lets stay

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