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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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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: rash · bear · game · mark · bore · snap · hand · bound

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. bear — the animal
  5. snap — to click
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bound — certain
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. bound — tied together
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bound — obliged
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. game — wild animals
  17. bear — the animal
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. rash — a series
  20. hand — help
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. game — a match
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mark — a trace

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