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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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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: fall · arm · vault · charge · mark · pitcher · temple · chest

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  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 — electricity
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. mark — a grade
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. chest — of your body
  7. fall — the season
  8. charge — a price
  9. fall — to drop
  10. chest — of your body
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. chest — a box
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. mark — a trace
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. charge — in control
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. fall — to drop
  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