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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 124 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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Word bank
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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: last · cabinet · bound · tube · date · pass · stand · swing

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — a container
  7. last — final
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bound — tied together
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pass — a permit
  12. swing — music
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — finally
  18. stand — to bear
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bound — obliged
  21. swing — in golf
  22. date — the fruit
  23. tube — in a tire
  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