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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 116 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: rush · stick · clip · tear · ground · pass · bear · bound

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bear — the animal
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. ground — crushed
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bound — obliged
  9. rush — hurry
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. ground — a position
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. clip — for paper
  14. clip — a video
  15. bound — tied together
  16. pass — a permit
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. bear — the animal
  19. tear — from crying
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. clip — to cut
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — to rip
  24. bound — certain

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