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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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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: wave · drill · fan · chip · hide · bark · charge · vault

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bark — to shout
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. charge — in control
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. chip — for betting
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. charge — electricity
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. drill — army training
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. chip — to eat
  20. drill — a practice
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. drill — the tool
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. fan — a supporter

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