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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. rest — a break
  4. charge — electricity
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. snap — to click
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. charge — in control
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. present — the time now
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. rest — what's left
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. present — there
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. charge — a price
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. rest — what's left
  24. present — a gift

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