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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. bound — tied together
  4. current — happening now
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. last — finally
  7. clip — a video
  8. current — electric
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. clip — for paper
  12. last — to go on
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. pass — a permit
  15. current — of water
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. clip — to cut
  18. row — a line
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. row — to paddle
  21. stand — to bear
  22. bound — obliged
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. bound — certain

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