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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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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: wake · snap · spring · swing · nail · bound · bank · wave

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bank — for money
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. swing — to play on
  7. bound — obliged
  8. spring — the season
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. bound — certain
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. snap — to click
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. swing — music
  17. bank — of a river
  18. swing — in golf
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. spring — a coil
  22. bank — for money
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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