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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: scale · leaves · wound · march · vault · charge · net · snap

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. charge — electricity
  5. snap — to click
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. scale — in music
  8. march — the month
  9. wound — an injury
  10. net — after costs
  11. march — music
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. march — the month
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. vault — a safe
  18. charge — in control
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. scale — size or range
  21. net — in sport
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. charge — a price
  24. leaves — lets stay

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