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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. charge — electricity
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. pound — a weight
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. charge — a price
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. charge — in control
  13. wake — a trail
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. row — a line
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. vault — a safe
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. row — to paddle

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