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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: wake · bound · bowl · drill · snap · tube · patient · mine

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bound — tied together
  3. drill — the tool
  4. mine — for digging
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bound — certain
  7. wake — a trail
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. drill — army training
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. drill — a practice
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. snap — to click
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. tube — a container

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