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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: bound · rest · can · wake · spring · calf · fine · pass

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. fine — all right
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. spring — of water
  5. bound — certain
  6. rest — what's left
  7. spring — the season
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pass — a permit
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. rest — a break
  13. rest — what's left
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. fine — high quality
  16. can — a tin
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. can — to be able to
  20. bound — tied together
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. spring — a coil
  24. can — a tin

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