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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 116 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: chip · bat · stick · mark · pass · bound · tear · last

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bound — certain
  7. tear — to rip
  8. tear — from crying
  9. last — final
  10. chip — for betting
  11. last — to go on
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. bound — tied together
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. bound — obliged
  16. pass — a permit
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bat — the animal
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. chip — to eat
  22. last — finally
  23. mark — a trace
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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