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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: roll · rock · bound · rule · race · spell · present · pass

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. spell — a short time
  3. rule — government
  4. roll — a cake
  5. bound — obliged
  6. race — a contest
  7. bound — certain
  8. race — the arms race
  9. rule — a law
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. race — humankind
  14. roll — a list
  15. present — a gift
  16. rock — a stone
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. present — the time now
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. present — there
  21. rock — music
  22. spell — magic
  23. spell — letters
  24. bound — tied together

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