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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: wound · snap · track · bound · board · arm · mark · pass

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. track — a song
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bound — obliged
  6. track — to keep track
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. bound — tied together
  10. pass — a permit
  11. mark — a grade
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. bound — certain
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. snap — to click
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. track — a path
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. board — to get on
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wound — an injury
  24. board — a committee

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