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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: season · bound · march · wave · mouse · wound · stand · pass

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bound — obliged
  4. wound — an injury
  5. march — the month
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. march — the month
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. march — music
  13. bound — certain
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. stand — to bear
  16. season — of the year
  17. pass — a permit
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bound — tied together
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. season — in sport

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