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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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Word bank
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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. firm — decided
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. vault — a safe
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. bound — certain
  10. charge — a price
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bound — obliged
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. pit — in a race
  15. firm — a company
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. pit — a hole
  18. kick — in football
  19. charge — in control
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. rush — hurry
  22. firm — steady
  23. bound — tied together
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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