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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. wound — an injury
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. bear — the animal
  5. charge — in control
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. craft — a skill
  8. land — a country
  9. bear — the animal
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. craft — boats
  14. land — ground
  15. charge — a price
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. vault — a safe
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. land — to come down
  20. bore — to tire
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bore — gave birth

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