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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — a price
  3. pop — music
  4. pop — to visit
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. present — the time now
  8. present — a gift
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bark — to shout
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. vault — a safe
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. present — there
  22. charge — in control
  23. pop — soda
  24. hand — help

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