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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 120 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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Word bank
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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. charge — electricity
  3. vault — a safe
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. current — happening now
  6. current — of water
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. current — electric
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. plane — a tool
  13. chair — a leader
  14. charge — a price
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. lean — to bend
  18. content — happy
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. kick — in football
  22. lean — thin
  23. charge — in control
  24. content — the amount

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