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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. cell — a phone
  3. mug — a cup
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. charge — a price
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. suit — to fit
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. vault — a safe
  11. suit — clothes
  12. suit — in cards
  13. prune — to trim
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. cell — in biology
  16. prune — to trim
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. mug — to rob
  19. mug — a face
  20. date — the fruit
  21. charge — electricity
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. charge — in control

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