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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mark · deal · leaves · bulb · charge · vault · clip · net

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. mark — a grade
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — electricity
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. net — in sport
  9. mark — a trace
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. clip — a video
  13. bulb — for light
  14. net — for catching
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. net — after costs
  18. clip — to cut
  19. vault — a safe
  20. deal — to handle
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. charge — in control
  23. clip — for paper
  24. bulb — for light

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