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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hand · bound · tear · cabinet · snap · net · calf · key

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. tear — from crying
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — for catching
  5. bound — obliged
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. snap — to click
  9. net — after costs
  10. hand — help
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. hand — in cards
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bound — certain
  15. key — in music
  16. bound — tied together
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. tear — from crying
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. key — for a lock
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. tear — to rip

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