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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: vault · leaves · lash · charge · stick · cell · bark · spell

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. charge — a price
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. cell — in biology
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. charge — in control
  15. vault — a safe
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. spell — a short time
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. spell — letters
  20. cell — a phone
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. charge — electricity
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. leaves — to go away

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