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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. charge — in control
  3. wind — moving air
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. present — a gift
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. present — the time now
  8. wind — moving air
  9. present — there
  10. bound — tied together
  11. charge — electricity
  12. saw — the tool
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. snap — to click
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bound — certain
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bound — obliged
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. charge — a price
  22. bore — to tire
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. bore — to drill

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