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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 116 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: bear · mark · squash · bound · content · snap · spell · tear

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bear — the animal
  3. spell — a short time
  4. bound — obliged
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. bear — the animal
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. tear — to rip
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. bound — tied together
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — from crying
  14. spell — magic
  15. snap — to click
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. content — happy
  18. squash — to crush
  19. squash — the sport
  20. mark — a grade
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. content — the amount
  23. spell — letters
  24. mark — a trace

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