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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 116 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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. last — final
  5. charge — in control
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. firm — steady
  8. pit — a hole
  9. spell — letters
  10. last — to go on
  11. charge — electricity
  12. spell — magic
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. firm — a company
  17. last — finally
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. wake — a trail
  21. firm — decided
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. spell — a short time
  24. charge — a price

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