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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. pass — a permit
  4. bound — tied together
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. firm — steady
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. firm — a company
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. wound — an injury
  11. dip — to sink
  12. firm — decided
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bound — obliged
  15. track — a song
  16. drill — the tool
  17. tear — from crying
  18. track — to keep track
  19. tear — to rip
  20. drill — army training
  21. track — a path
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. drill — a practice

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