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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: bound · ground · nail · snap · firm · net · tear · bay

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. tear — from crying
  3. ground — crushed
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. ground — a position
  7. firm — a company
  8. bound — obliged
  9. firm — steady
  10. net — for catching
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. tear — from crying
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. firm — decided
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. bound — tied together
  18. ground — the earth
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. snap — to click
  21. bound — certain
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — after costs
  24. tear — to rip

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