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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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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: mark · rash · board · jam · firm · straw · bound · rest

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  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. bound — certain
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. rest — a break
  4. bound — tied together
  5. firm — a company
  6. bound — obliged
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. firm — steady
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. rest — what's left
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rash — hasty
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. rash — a series
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. mark — a trace
  20. board — to get on
  21. firm — decided
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. mark — a grade
  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