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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: nail · rest · bound · rash · drill · lean · bear · pass

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. rash — hasty
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. drill — a practice
  5. bound — obliged
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. drill — army training
  8. pass — a permit
  9. rest — what's left
  10. lean — to bend
  11. rash — a series
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. bound — certain
  15. rest — what's left
  16. lean — thin
  17. drill — the tool
  18. bound — tied together
  19. rest — a break
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. nail — for a hammer

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