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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. charge — electricity
  4. land — to come down
  5. net — after costs
  6. content — happy
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — to get on
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. charge — in control
  13. net — in sport
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. land — ground
  16. content — the amount
  17. net — for catching
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. dip — to sink
  20. charge — a price
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. land — a country
  23. board — a committee
  24. dip — to dunk

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