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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cell · pass · bass · leaves · safe · rest · bound · track

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. track — a path
  3. cell — in biology
  4. bass — the fish
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. rest — what's left
  7. pass — a permit
  8. rest — a break
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bound — obliged
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. track — a song
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. cell — a phone
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. bass — low music
  21. bound — certain
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bound — tied together

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