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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: mouse · bound · wound · mark · fan · net · snap · race

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. race — the arms race
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. snap — to click
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. net — in sport
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. race — a contest
  13. race — humankind
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. bound — certain
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. bound — tied together
  18. net — for catching
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bound — obliged
  21. net — after costs
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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