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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
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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: snap · rock · bound · mate · band · fan · pitch · drill

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. snap — to click
  3. mate — to breed
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — tied together
  6. pitch — completely
  7. rock — a stone
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. rock — music
  12. drill — a practice
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. drill — army training
  15. mate — a friend
  16. band — a music group
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. bound — certain
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. band — a ring
  21. mate — a partner
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. drill — the tool

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