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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 · spring · nail · pitch · rush · board · mate · snap

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bound — obliged
  4. spring — the season
  5. mate — a partner
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. spring — of water
  11. bound — tied together
  12. mate — a friend
  13. spring — a coil
  14. board — a committee
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. pitch — completely
  20. mate — to breed
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. board — to get on
  23. rush — hurry
  24. bound — certain

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