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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 · wake · rock · saw · snap · nail · mine · calf

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. rock — a stone
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. saw — the tool
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. snap — to click
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bound — certain
  14. rock — music
  15. bound — tied together
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. nail — for a hammer

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