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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. charge — electricity
  3. rash — a series
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. ground — crushed
  6. rash — hasty
  7. ground — a position
  8. craft — boats
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. charge — in control
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. charge — a price
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bat — the animal
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — a skill
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. ground — the earth
  24. coach — a trainer

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