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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: rule · bear · vault · charge · swing · wake · file · object

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rule — a law
  4. file — a document
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. charge — in control
  10. charge — a price
  11. wake — a trail
  12. vault — a safe
  13. object — a thing
  14. swing — to play on
  15. file — a line of people
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. object — to protest
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. object — an aim
  20. bear — the animal
  21. rule — government
  22. swing — in golf
  23. file — a tool
  24. swing — music

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