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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: charge · vault · rule · can · net · drill · date · face

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. rule — a law
  3. can — a tin
  4. net — for catching
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. charge — electricity
  7. face — to confront
  8. charge — in control
  9. face — to point toward
  10. drill — army training
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. date — the fruit
  14. vault — a safe
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. face — part of the head
  17. drill — a practice
  18. net — after costs
  19. can — a tin
  20. net — in sport
  21. charge — a price
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. rule — government
  24. drill — the tool

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