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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: lie · race · last · wound · firm · bound · pass · track

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. race — a contest
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. wound — an injury
  6. last — final
  7. bound — tied together
  8. last — finally
  9. bound — obliged
  10. track — a path
  11. pass — a permit
  12. race — the arms race
  13. bound — certain
  14. firm — a company
  15. track — a song
  16. track — to keep track
  17. race — humankind
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — to recline
  20. firm — decided
  21. wound — an injury
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. firm — steady

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