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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. kid — to tease
  3. object — a thing
  4. face — to point toward
  5. vault — a safe
  6. charge — electricity
  7. face — part of the head
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. charge — a price
  10. charge — in control
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. scale — size or range
  13. tube — a container
  14. face — to confront
  15. saw — the tool
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. kid — child
  19. tube — the underground
  20. object — an aim
  21. object — to protest
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. scale — in music

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