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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. bank — for money
  3. charge — a price
  4. kick — in football
  5. charge — in control
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bank — for money
  8. fall — to drop
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. clip — a video
  12. fall — the season
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. clip — for paper
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. bank — of a river
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. charge — electricity
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. clip — to cut

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