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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. bound — obliged
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. bound — certain
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pound — a weight
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. spell — magic
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. spell — letters
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. mine — for digging
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bound — tied together
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. spell — a short time
  24. pound — for dogs

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