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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: charge · safe · fall · vault · file · bat · date · dip

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. date — the fruit
  4. charge — electricity
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. file — a document
  7. fall — to drop
  8. dip — to sink
  9. charge — a price
  10. bat — the animal
  11. charge — in control
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. file — a line of people
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. fall — the season
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. vault — a safe
  21. file — a tool
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. fall — to drop

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