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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. wound — an injury
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — tied together
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. bound — certain
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. mark — a grade
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. wound — an injury
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. squash — to crush
  19. squash — the sport
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. mark — a trace
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. rush — a thrill

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