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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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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. clip — for paper
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. charge — in control
  5. bear — the animal
  6. clip — to cut
  7. pit — in a race
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. root — of a plant
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. root — of a word
  14. pit — a hole
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bear — the animal
  17. charge — electricity
  18. clip — a video
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. charge — a price
  21. root — the cause
  22. craft — boats
  23. craft — a skill
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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