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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: fall · bound · stand · mark · rush · object · saw · kid

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. mark — a trace
  7. rush — hurry
  8. stand — to bear
  9. object — an aim
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. object — to protest
  12. fall — to drop
  13. kid — child
  14. bound — obliged
  15. kid — to tease
  16. mark — a grade
  17. saw — the tool
  18. object — a thing
  19. fall — to drop
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. fall — the season
  22. bound — tied together
  23. saw — the tool
  24. mark — to pay attention

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