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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. pass — a permit
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a grade
  5. row — a line
  6. row — to paddle
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. staff — a stick
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bound — certain
  12. staff — employees
  13. mark — a trace
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. staff — employees
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. stand — to bear
  22. bound — tied together
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. pass — to spend time

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