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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. wound — an injury
  5. vault — a safe
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. branch — a division
  8. charge — a price
  9. mine — for digging
  10. content — happy
  11. content — the amount
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. wound — an injury
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mug — to rob
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. mug — a face
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. mug — a cup
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. charge — electricity

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