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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: wound · last · content · ball · can · bear · charge · vault

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. charge — electricity
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. bear — the animal
  5. charge — a price
  6. last — final
  7. content — happy
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. wound — an injury
  11. charge — in control
  12. last — finally
  13. can — to be able to
  14. bear — the animal
  15. last — to go on
  16. vault — a safe
  17. can — a tin
  18. ball — a great time
  19. content — the amount
  20. wound — an injury
  21. can — a tin
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. content — videos and posts

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