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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. charge — a price
  3. current — electric
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mine — for digging
  6. current — happening now
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. current — of water
  12. charge — in control
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. charge — electricity
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. shower — to wash
  17. capital — a city
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. capital — money
  22. shower — rain
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bay — a horse colour

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