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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: vault · charge · fall · mug · lean · can · present · board

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. board — to get on
  3. can — to be able to
  4. vault — a safe
  5. mug — to rob
  6. present — a gift
  7. can — a tin
  8. lean — thin
  9. fall — to drop
  10. mug — a face
  11. mug — a cup
  12. charge — a price
  13. charge — electricity
  14. fall — the season
  15. fall — to drop
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. board — a committee
  18. can — a tin
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. present — the time now
  21. present — there
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. lean — to bend
  24. charge — in control

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