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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: charge · chair · calf · stick · tube · vault · bowl · cell

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  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. charge — a price
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. chair — a leader
  4. cell — in biology
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. charge — in control
  12. tube — the underground
  13. cell — a phone
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. charge — electricity
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. tube — a container
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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