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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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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: cell · charge · present · face · pop · calf · vault · current

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. charge — electricity
  4. present — the time now
  5. vault — a safe
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — in control
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — soda
  10. cell — a phone
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. present — a gift
  13. face — to point toward
  14. current — of water
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. cell — in biology
  18. present — there
  19. current — electric
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. current — happening now
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — part of the head
  24. calf — a young animal

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