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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 116 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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. ball — a great time
  4. charge — in control
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. court — for sport
  7. charge — a price
  8. vault — a safe
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bore — to drill
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. court — of a king
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. ball — a dance
  15. court — of law
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. bore — to tire
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. sharp — clever
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. wave — of the sea

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