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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: club · cabinet · roll · content · pass · rest · last · bound

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. rest — what's left
  3. last — final
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. last — finally
  7. club — for golf
  8. rest — what's left
  9. content — happy
  10. club — for dancing
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. roll — a cake
  14. rest — a break
  15. roll — a list
  16. club — a group
  17. pass — a permit
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. bound — certain
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. bound — tied together
  22. content — the amount
  23. last — to go on
  24. bound — obliged

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