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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. mate — to breed
  4. scale — in music
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. firm — steady
  7. wound — an injury
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. scale — size or range
  10. charge — electricity
  11. mate — a partner
  12. date — the fruit
  13. mate — a friend
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. charge — in control
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. vault — a safe
  20. firm — decided
  21. firm — a company
  22. charge — a price
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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