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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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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: last · rest · mouse · fall · charge · bound · pass · prune

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. fall — to drop
  4. charge — in control
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — obliged
  8. prune — to trim
  9. charge — electricity
  10. rest — a break
  11. last — to go on
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. fall — to drop
  14. prune — to trim
  15. fall — the season
  16. last — finally
  17. charge — a price
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. last — final
  20. rest — what's left
  21. pass — a permit
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. rest — what's left

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