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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. chip — to eat
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. bound — obliged
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bound — certain
  9. charge — a price
  10. bound — tied together
  11. prune — to trim
  12. press — newspapers
  13. bat — the animal
  14. chip — for betting
  15. press — to push
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. charge — electricity
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. charge — in control
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. press — a publisher
  24. bat — for baseball

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