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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. mate — a partner
  3. charge — electricity
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mate — a friend
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. mark — a grade
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. ball — a great time
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. mark — a trace
  12. kick — in football
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. vault — a safe
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. charge — in control
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bat — the animal
  23. mate — to breed
  24. ball — a dance

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