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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: foot · snap · bound · stick · hand · wound · mark · temple

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bound — obliged
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. hand — help
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. foot — a measure
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. wound — an injury
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. mark — a grade
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bound — tied together
  22. snap — to click
  23. hand — in cards
  24. bound — certain

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