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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: snap · wave · land · hide · scale · bound · lean · present

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. present — there
  3. bound — certain
  4. scale — in music
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. land — to come down
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bound — obliged
  13. present — the time now
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bound — tied together
  17. land — a country
  18. present — a gift
  19. lean — to bend
  20. snap — to click
  21. land — ground
  22. lean — thin
  23. scale — size or range
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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