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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 · charge · net · toast · press · cold · cue · fan

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. vault — a safe
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. cold — not warm
  6. press — newspapers
  7. cue — a hint
  8. charge — electricity
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. press — a publisher
  11. net — in sport
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. cue — for pool
  14. toast — bread
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. charge — in control
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. cue — a signal
  19. press — to push
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. net — for catching
  22. cold — an illness
  23. net — after costs
  24. charge — a price

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