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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 124 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: wound · bound · snap · suit · pop · board · date · spell

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. bound — obliged
  3. date — the fruit
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. spell — magic
  6. pop — music
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — letters
  9. bound — certain
  10. suit — in cards
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — an injury
  14. suit — clothes
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. pop — soda
  17. suit — to fit
  18. snap — to click
  19. board — a committee
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. board — to get on
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. pop — to visit
  24. bound — tied together

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