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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. staff — employees
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. staff — a stick
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. cap — a lid
  7. charge — electricity
  8. lean — to bend
  9. mine — for digging
  10. vault — a safe
  11. lean — thin
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. charge — a price
  14. craft — boats
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. charge — in control
  18. chip — to eat
  19. cap — a hat
  20. chip — for betting
  21. cap — of ice
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. staff — employees

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