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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: net · trunk · squash · pass · rush · wind · snap · bound

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. net — in sport
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. snap — to click
  6. wind — moving air
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. pass — a permit
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. squash — the sport
  16. bound — obliged
  17. net — for catching
  18. bound — tied together
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. squash — to crush
  22. net — after costs
  23. bound — certain
  24. rush — hurry

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