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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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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: bore · charge · kid · scale · arm · vault · clip · deal

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. deal — to handle
  4. scale — in music
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. clip — a video
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bore — to tire
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. clip — to cut
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. bore — to drill
  16. clip — for paper
  17. charge — a price
  18. vault — a safe
  19. kid — to tease
  20. scale — size or range
  21. charge — electricity
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. charge — in control
  24. arm — part of the body

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