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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 120 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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. pass — a permit
  3. tear — from crying
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. suit — to fit
  6. band — a ring
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. track — to keep track
  12. object — a thing
  13. tear — to rip
  14. suit — in cards
  15. track — a path
  16. suit — clothes
  17. object — to protest
  18. bound — tied together
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bound — certain
  21. track — a song
  22. object — an aim
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. band — a music group

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