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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: snap · bat · mark · band · lash · chair · mate · bound

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. bound — tied together
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. mate — a friend
  8. bound — certain
  9. mate — a partner
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. band — a ring
  13. mark — a grade
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. snap — to click
  16. bound — obliged
  17. band — a music group
  18. mark — a trace
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. chair — a leader
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. bat — the animal

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