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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: bound · toast · charge · object · season · chest · lie · sharp

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. bound — certain
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. season — in sport
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. chest — a box
  9. charge — electricity
  10. season — of the year
  11. bound — tied together
  12. sharp — clever
  13. object — to protest
  14. object — an aim
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. chest — of your body
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. object — a thing
  19. toast — bread
  20. lie — to recline
  21. chest — of your body
  22. charge — in control
  23. bound — obliged
  24. charge — a price

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