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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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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: mine · snap · bark · bound · kid · bowl · safe · file

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. bound — obliged
  4. file — a document
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. snap — to click
  7. bark — to shout
  8. kid — child
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. bound — tied together
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. kid — to tease
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. file — a tool
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. file — a line of people
  24. mine — for digging

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