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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. suit — to fit
  4. track — a path
  5. track — to keep track
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. mine — for digging
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bark — to shout
  10. suit — in cards
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. suit — clothes
  13. track — a song
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. swing — music
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. swing — to play on
  20. snap — to click
  21. bound — certain
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. swing — in golf
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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