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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 124 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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. chest — a box
  5. fall — the season
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — for money
  9. charge — a price
  10. ball — a great time
  11. vault — a safe
  12. ground — crushed
  13. fall — to drop
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. bank — of a river
  16. ground — a position
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — of your body
  19. fall — to drop
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. charge — in control
  23. ground — the earth
  24. charge — electricity

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