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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: stick · rush · rash · game · cap · bound · leaves · pass

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. bound — certain
  3. pass — a permit
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. game — wild animals
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. bound — obliged
  8. cap — a hat
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. bound — tied together
  14. rush — hurry
  15. game — a match
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rash — a series
  24. cap — of ice

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