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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: safe · bat · band · prune · mark · pass · bound · wake

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — tied together
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bat — the animal
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. bound — certain
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. wake — a trail
  12. band — a ring
  13. band — a music group
  14. mark — a grade
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. mark — a trace
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. wake — before a funeral

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