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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 · snap · arm · squash · can · nail · plane · wound

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. squash — the sport
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. can — a tin
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. can — to be able to
  8. wound — an injury
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. bound — tied together
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. can — a tin
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bound — obliged
  16. plane — a tool
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wound — an injury
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. squash — to crush
  21. bound — certain
  22. snap — to click
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. nail — for a hammer

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