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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: field · rush · tube · bound · can · snap · sharp · lean

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bound — certain
  3. snap — to click
  4. can — a tin
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. tube — a container
  8. lean — thin
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. field — a subject
  14. field — farmland
  15. field — for sport
  16. bound — obliged
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. can — to be able to
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. lean — to bend
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. can — a tin

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