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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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: chair · fan · perch · vault · hide · charge · hand · net

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. vault — a safe
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. net — for catching
  5. perch — the fish
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hand — help
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. net — in sport
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. hand — in cards
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. chair — a leader
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. charge — a price
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. charge — in control
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. charge — electricity
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. hide — to keep secret

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