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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  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 — in gymnastics
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. face — to confront
  5. bore — to tire
  6. charge — electricity
  7. face — part of the head
  8. charge — a price
  9. bore — to drill
  10. game — a match
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. vault — a safe
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. tube — a container
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. face — to point toward
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. game — wild animals
  23. charge — in control
  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