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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. face — to point toward
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. craft — a skill
  6. charge — in control
  7. face — to confront
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. charge — a price
  10. cell — in biology
  11. branch — a division
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. face — part of the head
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. chair — a leader
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. cell — a phone
  20. craft — boats
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. vault — a safe
  24. charge — electricity

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