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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 120 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: snap · charge · present · trunk · vault · march · fan · patient

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. present — there
  3. march — the month
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. march — the month
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. march — music
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. snap — to click
  11. present — a gift
  12. vault — a safe
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. charge — electricity
  21. present — the time now
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. charge — in control

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