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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: bound · scale · cap · kick · roll · rush · last · snap

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. cap — a lid
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. snap — to click
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. scale — in music
  8. bound — certain
  9. last — final
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bound — tied together
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. rush — hurry
  14. cap — a hat
  15. bound — obliged
  16. last — finally
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. scale — size or range
  20. roll — a list
  21. roll — a cake
  22. last — to go on
  23. cap — of ice
  24. kick — a thrill

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