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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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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 · vault · file · spell · pound · bank · cap · straw

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  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. vault — in gymnastics
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. spell — magic
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. charge — electricity
  6. file — a document
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a hat
  10. bank — of a river
  11. cap — a lid
  12. file — a line of people
  13. spell — letters
  14. bank — for money
  15. charge — a price
  16. file — a tool
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. spell — a short time
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. pound — a weight
  21. vault — a safe
  22. bank — for money
  23. pound — for dogs
  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