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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.

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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 · degree · bark · ball · rash · nail · snap · present

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. bark — to shout
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. bound — obliged
  7. rash — a series
  8. snap — to click
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. degree — an amount
  11. degree — temperature
  12. bound — certain
  13. present — a gift
  14. present — the time now
  15. bound — tied together
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a dance
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. ball — a great time
  20. rash — hasty
  21. present — there
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. degree — from a university
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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