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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: mouse · snap · stand · craft · wound · deal · bound · mate

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. bound — certain
  4. snap — to click
  5. mate — a partner
  6. bound — obliged
  7. stand — to bear
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mate — to breed
  10. wound — an injury
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. bound — tied together
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. mate — a friend
  21. craft — a skill
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. craft — boats
  24. deal — to handle

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