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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. band — a music group
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. track — a path
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bound — certain
  7. pass — a permit
  8. mate — a friend
  9. band — a ring
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. bound — tied together
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. track — to keep track
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. wind — moving air
  17. mate — a partner
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. track — a song
  21. mate — to breed
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. bound — obliged

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