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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 · hand · cold · stand · vault · mate · snap · ball

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. charge — in control
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. snap — to click
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. vault — a safe
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a great time
  13. cold — an illness
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. hand — in cards
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. ball — a dance
  19. mate — to breed
  20. hand — help
  21. mate — a partner
  22. charge — a price
  23. cold — not warm
  24. charge — electricity

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