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

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — an injury
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bound — obliged
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. bound — certain
  10. band — a music group
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. snap — to click
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. bound — tied together
  24. band — a ring

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