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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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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 · nail · bark · bear · bound · wax · stick · racket

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bound — tied together
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. bound — certain
  9. bound — obliged
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. wax — to grow
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bark — to shout
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  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