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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. fine — all right
  5. charge — in control
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. vault — a safe
  10. present — the time now
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. wax — to grow
  15. kid — to tease
  16. fine — high quality
  17. present — a gift
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. charge — a price
  22. present — there
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. kid — child

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