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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 120 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: mug · sharp · hand · saw · can · ground · bound · snap

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. saw — the tool
  3. ground — crushed
  4. sharp — clever
  5. saw — the tool
  6. ground — the earth
  7. can — a tin
  8. hand — help
  9. bound — obliged
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. can — to be able to
  12. mug — a face
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. bound — tied together
  16. snap — to click
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. hand — in cards
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. mug — to rob
  21. bound — certain
  22. can — a tin
  23. ground — a position
  24. mug — a cup

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