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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. vault — a safe
  3. charge — electricity
  4. key — in music
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. bank — for money
  7. charge — a price
  8. key — the most important part
  9. cold — not warm
  10. cold — an illness
  11. charge — in control
  12. pit — in a race
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bank — for money
  17. key — for a lock
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bore — to tire
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. pit — a hole
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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