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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 120 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 · squash · object · bound · charge · present · fall · season

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. last — final
  3. last — finally
  4. last — to go on
  5. season — of the year
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — the season
  8. squash — the sport
  9. charge — in control
  10. present — a gift
  11. bound — certain
  12. charge — electricity
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. object — an aim
  15. present — there
  16. charge — a price
  17. squash — to crush
  18. present — the time now
  19. fall — to drop
  20. object — a thing
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bound — tied together
  23. season — in sport
  24. object — to protest

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