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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. scale — size or range
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. charge — in control
  9. kid — to tease
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. court — for sport
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. vault — a safe
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. charge — a price
  20. lie — to recline
  21. court — of law
  22. scale — in music
  23. court — of a king
  24. kid — child

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