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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 120 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: track · present · pass · rash · can · bound · mouse · lie

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. track — to keep track
  7. present — the time now
  8. track — a path
  9. pass — a permit
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. can — a tin
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bound — tied together
  15. track — a song
  16. can — to be able to
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rash — a series
  20. can — a tin
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. present — a gift
  23. bound — certain
  24. present — there

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