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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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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. clip — to cut
  4. bound — tied together
  5. shower — to wash
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. plane — a tool
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. chair — a leader
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. vault — a safe
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. clip — a video
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. bound — certain
  17. charge — electricity
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bound — obliged
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. clip — for paper
  23. charge — a price
  24. shower — rain

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