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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: firm · kick · cold · charge · vault · cabinet

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. cold — not warm
  3. vault — a safe
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. charge — electricity
  7. firm — a company
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cold — an illness
  10. charge — in control
  11. firm — decided
  12. charge — a price
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. kick — in football
  16. firm — steady
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. kick — a thrill

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