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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. vault — a safe
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. current — happening now
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. current — of water
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bat — the animal
  11. drill — the tool
  12. charge — a price
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. drill — a practice
  16. charge — electricity
  17. current — electric
  18. wake — a trail
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. drill — army training
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. charge — in control

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