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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: bound · wake · pound · pass · straw · face · ruler · staff

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. pound — a weight
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. wake — a trail
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. staff — a stick
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. staff — employees
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. face — part of the head
  14. staff — employees
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bound — obliged
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. bound — tied together
  19. face — to confront
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bound — certain
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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