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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. ball — a great time
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. key — in music
  6. row — to paddle
  7. snap — to click
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. wind — moving air
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. dip — to sink
  14. key — the most important part
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. bound — tied together
  18. row — a line
  19. ball — a dance
  20. wind — moving air
  21. key — for a lock
  22. bound — obliged
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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