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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bound · track · snap · rash · pass · chest

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — of your body
  5. rash — a series
  6. track — a path
  7. track — to keep track
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. chest — a box
  10. bound — obliged
  11. snap — to click
  12. track — a song
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bound — certain
  15. rash — hasty
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. pass — a permit

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