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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 · net · saw · spell · wave · wound · bound · bore

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. net — for catching
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. bore — to drill
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. spell — a short time
  9. bound — obliged
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. spell — letters
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. bound — certain
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bound — tied together
  17. wound — an injury
  18. net — after costs
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. net — in sport
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. snap — to click
  24. wave — of the sea

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