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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 · fan · pass · bear · rest · stand · jam · saw

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. rest — a break
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bound — tied together
  11. pass — a permit
  12. saw — the tool
  13. stand — to bear
  14. bound — obliged
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bear — the animal
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. rest — what's left
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. bear — the animal
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. pass — to spend time

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