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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: land · object · row · rash · bound · pass · file · bear

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. file — a line of people
  3. land — ground
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. land — a country
  6. row — a line
  7. land — to come down
  8. file — a document
  9. bound — obliged
  10. object — a thing
  11. row — to paddle
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — certain
  14. bear — the animal
  15. object — to protest
  16. rash — a series
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. file — a tool
  22. rash — hasty
  23. pass — a permit
  24. object — an aim

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