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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — a price
  3. tear — from crying
  4. craft — boats
  5. tear — from crying
  6. vault — a safe
  7. tear — to rip
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. craft — a skill
  11. pass — a permit
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. charge — in control
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ball — a dance
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chip — to eat
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. ball — a great time
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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