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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. vault — a safe
  3. net — for catching
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. shower — to wash
  7. craft — boats
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. charge — electricity
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. shower — rain
  16. plane — a tool
  17. craft — a skill
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — in sport
  22. charge — in control
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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