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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. drill — a practice
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. charge — in control
  7. charge — a price
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — an injury
  12. mine — for digging
  13. drill — the tool
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. vault — a safe
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. bore — to tire
  20. drill — army training
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bore — to drill

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