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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: vault · ruler · tear · chair · charge · perch · fine · cold

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. charge — in control
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. perch — the fish
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. chair — a leader
  7. tear — from crying
  8. vault — a safe
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. charge — a price
  11. fine — high quality
  12. cold — not warm
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. charge — electricity
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. cold — an illness
  17. tear — from crying
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. fine — all right
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. perch — for a bird

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