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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.

Make a worksheet

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: kid · snap · net · saw · pitcher · bear · bound · dip

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bound — obliged
  5. net — after costs
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. bear — the animal
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. net — for catching
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. net — in sport
  12. kid — child
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. snap — to click
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. kid — to tease
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. dip — to sink
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bound — tied together
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. bear — the animal

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