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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bark — to shout
  3. last — final
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. last — to go on
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. squash — the sport
  10. vault — a safe
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — electricity
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. last — finally
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. squash — to crush
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. nail — on a finger

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