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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: mug · kid · snap · bore · nail · bound · swing · squash

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. bound — tied together
  3. squash — the sport
  4. bound — obliged
  5. mug — a cup
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bound — certain
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. swing — music
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. swing — in golf
  14. kid — to tease
  15. mug — to rob
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. swing — to play on
  19. kid — child
  20. squash — to crush
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. mug — a face
  24. bore — to drill

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