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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: track · wake · present · vault · straw · charge · rash · land

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. rash — a series
  3. land — to come down
  4. present — a gift
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — hasty
  8. land — ground
  9. charge — in control
  10. charge — electricity
  11. vault — a safe
  12. track — a path
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. charge — a price
  15. track — a song
  16. present — there
  17. track — to keep track
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. wake — a trail
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. land — a country
  24. straw — a straw man

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