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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: rule · rash · date · foot · saw · charge · present · vault

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. date — the fruit
  3. present — the time now
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. foot — a measure
  6. saw — the tool
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. charge — in control
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. present — a gift
  12. rash — a series
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. charge — a price
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. vault — a safe
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. saw — the tool
  20. rule — a law
  21. rule — government
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. present — there

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