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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 116 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: charge · craft · vault · swing · deal · lie · cell · stand

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. swing — in golf
  4. cell — a phone
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. stand — to bear
  7. charge — electricity
  8. cell — in biology
  9. swing — to play on
  10. deal — to handle
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. vault — a safe
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. charge — a price
  17. craft — boats
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. craft — a skill
  20. lie — to recline
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. charge — in control
  23. swing — music
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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