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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: kick · vault · chair · fine · leaves · charge · face · branch

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. kick — in football
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. fine — all right
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. face — to point toward
  8. face — to confront
  9. charge — electricity
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. charge — a price
  12. vault — a safe
  13. chair — a leader
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. branch — a division
  19. face — part of the head
  20. fine — high quality
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. charge — in control
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. leaves — of a tree

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