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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.

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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. last — to go on
  3. bound — certain
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. row — to paddle
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. bass — low music
  8. last — final
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. last — finally
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. row — a line
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bass — the fish
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. can — a tin
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. can — a tin
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. bound — obliged
  23. can — to be able to
  24. bound — tied together

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