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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. charge — in control
  3. band — a ring
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. capital — money
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. mark — a trace
  11. charge — a price
  12. game — a match
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. band — a music group
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mark — a grade
  18. lie — to recline
  19. capital — a city
  20. charge — electricity
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. vault — a safe
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. game — wild animals

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