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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: fine · snap · straw · bound · wind · calf · mouse · roll

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. fine — high quality
  7. bound — certain
  8. fine — all right
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bound — obliged
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. roll — a cake
  14. wind — moving air
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. roll — a list
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bound — tied together
  21. wind — moving air
  22. snap — to click
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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