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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. charge — in control
  3. vault — a safe
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. present — a gift
  6. clip — to cut
  7. clip — a video
  8. chest — a box
  9. clip — for paper
  10. present — there
  11. swing — music
  12. charge — electricity
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. chest — of your body
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. swing — to play on
  17. chest — of your body
  18. board — to get on
  19. charge — a price
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. swing — in golf
  24. branch — a division

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