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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 · pass · rest · lie · last · pitch · season · charge

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. season — of the year
  3. bound — obliged
  4. charge — electricity
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. bound — tied together
  7. rest — a break
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. pitch — completely
  12. last — finally
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rest — what's left
  15. lie — to recline
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. charge — a price
  19. rest — what's left
  20. charge — in control
  21. pass — a permit
  22. last — to go on
  23. bound — certain
  24. season — in sport

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