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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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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: snap · bound · wake · foot · shower · sharp · pop · mouse

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. pop — music
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. bound — certain
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. foot — a measure
  10. sharp — clever
  11. shower — rain
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. snap — to click
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. pop — soda
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. shower — to wash
  19. wake — a trail
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. bound — obliged
  24. pop — to visit

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