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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.

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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: chip · vault · craft · content · shower · swing · charge · bear

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. swing — to play on
  3. charge — electricity
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. shower — to wash
  7. bear — the animal
  8. swing — music
  9. content — the amount
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bear — the animal
  12. craft — boats
  13. vault — a safe
  14. chip — for betting
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. charge — in control
  17. chip — to eat
  18. charge — a price
  19. craft — a skill
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. swing — in golf
  22. shower — rain
  23. content — happy
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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