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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: mark · leaves · mouse · band · craft · snap · bound · spring

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. spring — a coil
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. mark — a trace
  8. spring — the season
  9. craft — a skill
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. bound — certain
  13. bound — tied together
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bound — obliged
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. snap — to click
  18. spring — of water
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. band — a music group
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. craft — boats
  23. band — a ring
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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