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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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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. last — to go on
  6. net — for catching
  7. charge — a price
  8. cell — in biology
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. last — final
  11. swing — music
  12. charge — electricity
  13. file — a line of people
  14. file — a document
  15. charge — in control
  16. file — a tool
  17. cell — a phone
  18. vault — a safe
  19. net — in sport
  20. swing — in golf
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. pass — a permit
  23. net — after costs
  24. swing — to play on

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