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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 · chest · wound · bound · rock · snap · staff · rush

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. bound — certain
  3. wound — an injury
  4. rock — a stone
  5. wound — an injury
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. chest — of your body
  8. sharp — clever
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. rock — music
  11. staff — a stick
  12. bound — obliged
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. chest — of your body
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bound — tied together
  19. snap — to click
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — employees
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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