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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: court · temple · vault · press · kick · charge

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. charge — in control
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. press — a publisher
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. press — to push
  7. vault — a safe
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. court — of law
  10. kick — in football
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. press — newspapers
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — electricity
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of a king
  18. vault — in gymnastics

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