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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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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: lie · race · snap · bank · bound · present · nail · net

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. bound — certain
  3. net — after costs
  4. bound — tied together
  5. snap — to click
  6. race — the arms race
  7. race — humankind
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bank — for money
  10. present — a gift
  11. present — there
  12. net — in sport
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bound — obliged
  16. present — the time now
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. net — for catching
  21. lie — to recline
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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