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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: mate · charge · vault · mine · firm · chair · face · current

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. charge — electricity
  4. current — happening now
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. charge — in control
  7. firm — a company
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. face — to confront
  10. firm — decided
  11. mate — a partner
  12. charge — a price
  13. mine — for digging
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. chair — a leader
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a friend
  18. face — to point toward
  19. current — electric
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — a safe
  22. current — of water
  23. face — part of the head
  24. firm — steady

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