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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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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: charge · vault · wind · plane · foot · leaves · firm · fine

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. charge — a price
  3. firm — a company
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. firm — decided
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. wind — moving air
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. plane — a tool
  14. foot — a measure
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. charge — in control
  17. vault — a safe
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. wind — moving air
  21. fine — all right
  22. charge — electricity
  23. firm — steady
  24. leaves — to go away

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