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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. content — happy
  5. lean — thin
  6. file — a document
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — a price
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. file — a tool
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. vault — a safe
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. charge — in control
  20. file — a line of people
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. lie — to recline
  24. content — the amount

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