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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 112 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

Word bank: object · bore · bound · snap · fine · pop

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. bound — tied together
  3. fine — all right
  4. object — to protest
  5. fine — high quality
  6. bound — certain
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. pop — soda
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bore — to tire
  13. snap — to click
  14. bore — to drill
  15. object — a thing
  16. pop — to visit
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. pop — music

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