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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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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: bowl · deal · season · chest · dip · wind · snap · bound

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. season — of the year
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bound — certain
  7. dip — to sink
  8. chest — of your body
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wind — moving air
  12. deal — to handle
  13. bound — tied together
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — a box
  17. snap — to click
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. wind — moving air
  22. season — in sport
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bound — obliged

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