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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: snap · mug · bat · bound · ruler · cabinet · track · wound

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. wound — an injury
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. mug — a cup
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. track — a path
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. track — to keep track
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bound — tied together
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. track — a song
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. mug — to rob
  19. mug — a face
  20. bound — certain
  21. snap — to click
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bat — in an idiom

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