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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: sharp · net · last · present · fall · bowl · snap · bound

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. net — after costs
  3. present — there
  4. fall — to drop
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. last — final
  8. last — finally
  9. fall — the season
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bound — tied together
  12. last — to go on
  13. net — in sport
  14. present — the time now
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. present — a gift
  17. bound — certain
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. net — for catching
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. fall — to drop
  23. snap — to click
  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