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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 116 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bound — tied together
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. band — a music group
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. band — a ring
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. mate — a friend
  12. pass — a permit
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. mine — for digging
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — certain
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. mate — to breed
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mate — a partner

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