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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — tied together
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. bound — certain
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — clothes
  11. ground — crushed
  12. can — to be able to
  13. fall — to drop
  14. can — a tin
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. suit — to fit
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — an injury
  19. ground — a position
  20. ground — the earth
  21. fall — to drop
  22. wake — a trail
  23. fall — the season
  24. can — a tin

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