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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: roll · firm · ruler · squash · pass · can · patient · bound

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bound — obliged
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. firm — decided
  5. pass — a permit
  6. roll — a list
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. roll — a cake
  9. firm — a company
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. can — a tin
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. can — to be able to
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — tied together
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. firm — steady
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. squash — the sport
  22. can — a tin
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. squash — to crush

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