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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 · bay · last · calf · band · scale · pass · mug

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. scale — in music
  3. band — a ring
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. mug — a face
  7. mug — to rob
  8. last — to go on
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. last — final
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. last — finally
  13. bound — tied together
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. scale — size or range
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. mug — a cup
  18. bound — certain
  19. pass — a permit
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. band — a music group
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bay — a horse colour

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