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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hand · charge · bulb · mine · vault · leaves · board · kid

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. hand — in cards
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. charge — electricity
  8. hand — help
  9. board — to get on
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. board — a committee
  17. bulb — for light
  18. charge — a price
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. kid — to tease
  21. kid — child
  22. charge — in control
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. vault — a safe

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