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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. charge — in control
  4. mate — a partner
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. rule — government
  7. charge — electricity
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. chest — of your body
  10. mate — a friend
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mate — to breed
  13. rule — a law
  14. chest — of your body
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. vault — a safe
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. dip — to sink
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. chest — a box
  23. charge — a price
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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