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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: fine · ruler · spring · snap · present · mouse · mine · bound

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. present — a gift
  3. present — the time now
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. present — there
  6. fine — all right
  7. spring — a coil
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mine — for digging
  15. spring — the season
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. spring — of water
  20. snap — to click
  21. bound — certain
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bound — tied together

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