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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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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: pop · lean · cell · rule · charge · capital · vault · season

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. lean — thin
  4. lean — to bend
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. charge — a price
  7. season — in sport
  8. charge — in control
  9. cell — in biology
  10. capital — money
  11. charge — electricity
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. pop — to visit
  14. rule — government
  15. rule — a law
  16. season — of the year
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. pop — soda
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. capital — a city
  22. vault — a safe
  23. pop — music
  24. cell — a phone

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