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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. mug — a cup
  3. content — happy
  4. charge — a price
  5. mug — a face
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. charge — in control
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. content — the amount
  14. mug — to rob
  15. bark — to shout
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. vault — a safe
  21. charge — electricity
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. stem — to come from

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