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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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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: chip · pound · arm · bound · bore · leaves · cap · snap

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bound — tied together
  5. cap — a lid
  6. chip — to eat
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. bound — obliged
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bore — to tire
  13. pound — a weight
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bore — to drill
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. cap — a hat
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. cap — of ice
  23. snap — to click
  24. bound — certain

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