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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: bound · content · mark · sharp · scale · snap · face · rush

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. rush — hurry
  4. mark — a trace
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. bound — tied together
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. scale — in music
  10. content — happy
  11. content — the amount
  12. sharp — clever
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bound — certain
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. face — part of the head
  21. scale — size or range
  22. bound — obliged
  23. snap — to click
  24. face — to confront

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