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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. charge — a price
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. chest — of your body
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. charge — in control
  7. chest — a box
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. object — to protest
  10. pop — to visit
  11. object — an aim
  12. vault — a safe
  13. last — to go on
  14. object — a thing
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. charge — electricity
  17. last — finally
  18. last — final
  19. chest — of your body
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. pop — music
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. pop — soda
  24. rush — hurry

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