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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  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. band — a ring
  2. present — there
  3. row — a line
  4. bound — obliged
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. band — a music group
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. present — a gift
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. dip — to sink
  12. bound — tied together
  13. present — the time now
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. pass — a permit
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. bound — certain
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. row — to paddle
  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