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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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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: nail · club · band · arm · bound · snap · board · fall

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  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. band — a rubber band
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. fall — to drop
  4. board — to get on
  5. fall — the season
  6. club — for dancing
  7. fall — to drop
  8. band — a ring
  9. band — a music group
  10. board — a committee
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bound — obliged
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. snap — to click
  16. bound — certain
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. club — a group
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. club — for golf
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. arm — part of the body
  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