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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: pound · pass · charge · last · lie · wound · field · cap

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. lie — to recline
  3. last — final
  4. field — farmland
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. charge — a price
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. last — finally
  9. charge — electricity
  10. pass — a permit
  11. cap — a hat
  12. wound — an injury
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. charge — in control
  15. cap — a lid
  16. field — for sport
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. cap — of ice
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. last — to go on
  22. wound — an injury
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. pound — a weight

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