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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. pass — a permit
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. charge — in control
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. bound — obliged
  9. charge — electricity
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. charge — a price
  12. last — finally
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. club — for dancing
  16. club — a group
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. last — to go on
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — hurry
  21. bound — certain
  22. bound — tied together
  23. club — for golf
  24. fan — a supporter

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