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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 · board · firm · season · rush · charge · mate · hand

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. board — to get on
  6. season — of the year
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — a partner
  10. charge — a price
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. hand — in cards
  13. charge — electricity
  14. firm — decided
  15. charge — in control
  16. mate — to breed
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. firm — a company
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. hand — help
  21. season — in sport
  22. board — a committee
  23. firm — steady
  24. vault — a safe

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