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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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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: straw · mark · rest · pass · cap · leaves · bound · pit

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  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. mark — a grade
  2. cap — a hat
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — tied together
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. rest — a break
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. cap — of ice
  13. mark — a trace
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pit — a hole
  16. bound — certain
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. rest — what's left
  21. pass — a permit
  22. cap — a lid
  23. rest — what's left
  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