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

Word bank: tear · bound · pound · pass · snap · mouse

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. snap — to click
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pound — a weight
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bound — tied together
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — to rip
  14. bound — certain
  15. pass — a permit
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bound — obliged

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