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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. mate — a partner
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. vault — a safe
  5. mate — a friend
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. chip — to eat
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. charge — in control
  11. kid — to tease
  12. kid — child
  13. suit — clothes
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. lie — to recline
  18. mate — to breed
  19. chip — for betting
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. charge — a price
  22. rash — a series
  23. suit — in cards
  24. suit — to fit

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