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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. key — in music
  5. key — for a lock
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bat — the animal
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. vault — a safe
  12. degree — temperature
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. charge — a price
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. last — final
  17. last — finally
  18. charge — in control
  19. key — the most important part
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. degree — from a university
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. last — to go on
  24. degree — an amount

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