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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. wound — an injury
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. mug — a cup
  6. vault — a safe
  7. wound — an injury
  8. capital — money
  9. cold — not warm
  10. mug — to rob
  11. tube — a container
  12. charge — electricity
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. cold — an illness
  16. mug — a face
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. charge — a price
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. capital — a city
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. tube — the underground
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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