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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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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: mine · charge · court · last · vault · rest · nail · key

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. last — final
  3. key — in music
  4. court — of a king
  5. key — the most important part
  6. charge — in control
  7. vault — a safe
  8. mine — for digging
  9. court — of law
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. charge — electricity
  13. rest — what's left
  14. court — for sport
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. key — for a lock
  18. rest — what's left
  19. last — finally
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. rest — a break
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. charge — a price

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