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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: pit · cold · rash · bear · vault · mine · charge · nail

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rash — a series
  6. charge — in control
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. bear — the animal
  9. charge — electricity
  10. cold — an illness
  11. bear — the animal
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. vault — a safe
  15. pit — a hole
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. charge — a price
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pit — in a race
  24. cold — not warm

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