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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 120 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: vault · present · kid · cue · fan · bore · charge · clip

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. charge — in control
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. clip — a video
  5. cue — a hint
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. cue — a signal
  8. present — there
  9. kid — to tease
  10. kid — child
  11. charge — a price
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. present — a gift
  14. clip — for paper
  15. bore — to drill
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. clip — to cut
  18. present — the time now
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. vault — a safe
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. cue — for pool
  23. bore — to tire
  24. charge — electricity

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