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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. foot — a measure
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. staff — a stick
  5. wind — moving air
  6. staff — employees
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. charge — a price
  11. toast — bread
  12. staff — employees
  13. present — a gift
  14. land — to come down
  15. charge — electricity
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. land — ground
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. land — a country
  21. present — the time now
  22. present — there
  23. wind — moving air
  24. charge — in control

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