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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. spell — letters
  4. charge — in control
  5. charge — a price
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. spell — magic
  9. present — a gift
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. present — there
  12. charge — electricity
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. branch — a division
  16. row — a line
  17. row — to paddle
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. spell — a short time
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. present — the time now

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