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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 120 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: craft · bound · deal · mug · pass · band · content · straw

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. pass — a permit
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. mug — to rob
  5. band — a ring
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. content — happy
  10. mug — a face
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. craft — a skill
  16. content — the amount
  17. craft — boats
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bound — certain
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. band — a music group
  23. mug — a cup
  24. deal — a big deal

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