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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. charge — electricity
  4. band — a music group
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. vault — a safe
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. charge — a price
  11. track — a path
  12. track — to keep track
  13. charge — in control
  14. row — to paddle
  15. row — a line
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. last — to go on
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. last — final
  20. kick — in football
  21. last — finally
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. track — a song
  24. band — a ring

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