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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: bay · mate · vault · spell · staff · net · present · charge

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. spell — letters
  3. present — there
  4. staff — employees
  5. mate — to breed
  6. staff — employees
  7. vault — a safe
  8. mate — a friend
  9. charge — a price
  10. present — the time now
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. net — in sport
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. net — after costs
  18. charge — electricity
  19. mate — a partner
  20. spell — a short time
  21. net — for catching
  22. spell — magic
  23. charge — in control
  24. present — a gift

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