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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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Word bank
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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: vault · last · root · face · charge · chip · spell · date

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. chip — for betting
  3. date — the fruit
  4. charge — electricity
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. root — of a plant
  7. spell — magic
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. face — to confront
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. last — to go on
  13. root — the cause
  14. last — finally
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — in control
  17. chip — to eat
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. spell — letters
  20. vault — a safe
  21. last — final
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — part of the head
  24. root — of a word

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