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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 116 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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. vault — a safe
  3. charge — electricity
  4. pit — a hole
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. rest — a break
  8. net — in sport
  9. rest — what's left
  10. kid — child
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. pit — in a race
  13. net — after costs
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. net — for catching
  18. branch — a division
  19. kid — to tease
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. charge — in control
  24. branch — of a bank

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