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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: pass · stem · row · last · roll · drill · bound · mouse

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. row — to paddle
  3. bound — certain
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. last — final
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. roll — a list
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. row — a line
  10. last — finally
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. drill — army training
  15. bound — tied together
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. pass — a permit
  18. drill — the tool
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. roll — a cake
  22. last — to go on
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. drill — a practice

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