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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 116 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: pound · spell · mouse · snap · wake · bore · lean · band

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. spell — letters
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. spell — a short time
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. wake — a trail
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bore — to drill
  13. band — a music group
  14. lean — to bend
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. band — a ring
  17. snap — to click
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. lean — thin
  20. spell — magic
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. mouse — the animal

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