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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 · wind · ruler · craft · bound · wound · dip · press

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. press — to push
  3. wind — moving air
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. craft — a skill
  8. dip — to sink
  9. bound — obliged
  10. snap — to click
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bound — certain
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wound — an injury
  19. press — a publisher
  20. bound — tied together
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. press — newspapers
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. dip — to dunk

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