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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. charge — in control
  3. current — of water
  4. vault — a safe
  5. charge — electricity
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. cap — a hat
  9. current — electric
  10. plane — a tool
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. spell — magic
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a lid
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. spell — letters
  20. current — happening now
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. spell — a short time
  23. charge — a price
  24. straw — dry grass

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