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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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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: plane · vault · charge · calf · cell · wave · straw · fan

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. charge — electricity
  11. vault — a safe
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. plane — a tool
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. cell — in biology
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. charge — in control
  23. cell — a phone
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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