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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. charge — electricity
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. cold — an illness
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. key — in music
  10. charge — a price
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. pitch — completely
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. fall — to drop
  15. charge — in control
  16. fall — the season
  17. vault — a safe
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. key — the most important part
  20. fall — to drop
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. cold — not warm
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. key — for a lock

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