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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: track · hand · temple · land · snap · season · pass · bound

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. hand — help
  3. hand — in cards
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bound — obliged
  6. snap — to click
  7. land — ground
  8. track — a path
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. bound — certain
  12. season — in sport
  13. pass — a permit
  14. land — to come down
  15. bound — tied together
  16. season — of the year
  17. land — a country
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. track — to keep track
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. track — a song

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