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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: shower · bound · club · snap · coach · board · mouse · ruler

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bound — obliged
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. shower — rain
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. bound — tied together
  10. board — to get on
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. club — for golf
  13. club — a group
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. board — a committee
  20. shower — to wash
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. bound — certain
  23. club — for dancing
  24. snap — to click

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