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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: saw · vault · fine · date · bass · fan · charge · face

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. saw — the tool
  3. face — part of the head
  4. charge — in control
  5. date — the fruit
  6. bass — the fish
  7. face — to confront
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. vault — a safe
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. charge — electricity
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. charge — a price
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bass — low music
  18. fine — all right
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. face — to point toward
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. fine — a penalty

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