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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 124 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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. charge — in control
  4. charge — electricity
  5. wind — moving air
  6. vault — a safe
  7. wind — moving air
  8. net — in sport
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. rule — a law
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. charge — a price
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rule — government
  20. face — to confront
  21. net — after costs
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — part of the head
  24. rule — to rule out

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