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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pass · wound · court · present · bound · mark · wake · straw

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. wake — a trail
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. mark — a trace
  7. present — the time now
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. mark — a grade
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. bound — certain
  14. court — of a king
  15. wound — an injury
  16. present — a gift
  17. bound — tied together
  18. wound — an injury
  19. present — there
  20. pass — a permit
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. bound — obliged
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. court — for sport

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