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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 120 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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. charge — in control
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. charge — a price
  5. bore — to tire
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cell — a phone
  10. cold — an illness
  11. charge — electricity
  12. cell — in biology
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. cold — not warm
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. vault — a safe
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bore — to drill
  24. hide — to keep secret

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