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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 120 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: mate · mine · bound · track · wake · stand · straw · pass

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. mate — a friend
  3. track — to keep track
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. track — a path
  11. mate — to breed
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — certain
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mate — a partner
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. track — a song
  24. pass — a permit

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