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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 116 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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. charge — a price
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. bound — obliged
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. dip — to sink
  7. stand — to bear
  8. charge — in control
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bore — to tire
  12. tube — the underground
  13. bound — certain
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. charge — electricity
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bore — to drill
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. vault — a safe

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