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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: firm · trunk · march · fall · drill · bound · pass · straw

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. firm — steady
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. drill — the tool
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. bound — tied together
  10. fall — to drop
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. march — music
  13. firm — a company
  14. pass — a permit
  15. bound — obliged
  16. fall — to drop
  17. firm — decided
  18. fall — the season
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. drill — army training
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. march — the month
  23. march — the month
  24. drill — a practice

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