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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: scale · bound · lash · game · mark · content · squash · snap

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bound — obliged
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. game — wild animals
  5. mark — a trace
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. scale — size or range
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. squash — the sport
  13. content — the amount
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bound — certain
  16. scale — in music
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. content — happy
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. snap — to click
  21. mark — a grade
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. squash — to crush
  24. game — a match

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