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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: pass · kick · bound · trunk · charge · game · wound · season

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  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. charge — electricity
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bound — certain
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. season — of the year
  12. charge — a price
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. game — wild animals
  15. pass — a permit
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bound — tied together
  18. game — a match
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. wound — an injury
  22. kick — in football
  23. charge — in control
  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