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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
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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 · wound · track · charge · bound · rest · mate · toast

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. rest — what's left
  3. charge — electricity
  4. wound — an injury
  5. toast — bread
  6. mate — a partner
  7. track — to keep track
  8. bound — certain
  9. charge — in control
  10. last — finally
  11. bound — tied together
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. mate — a friend
  14. track — a song
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. rest — a break
  17. track — a path
  18. bound — obliged
  19. rest — what's left
  20. last — to go on
  21. charge — a price
  22. mate — to breed
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. wound — an injury

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