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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. charge — a price
  4. cue — a hint
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. wake — a trail
  10. cue — a signal
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. charge — electricity
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. clip — for paper
  15. cue — for pool
  16. clip — to cut
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a match
  19. charge — in control
  20. clip — a video
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. rest — a break
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. rest — what's left

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