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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: cue · charge · content · ground · spell · vault · tear · nail

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. spell — letters
  4. charge — electricity
  5. vault — a safe
  6. charge — a price
  7. ground — a position
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cue — for pool
  10. content — the amount
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. cue — a signal
  13. content — happy
  14. cue — a hint
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. tear — from crying
  19. spell — a short time
  20. tear — to rip
  21. charge — in control
  22. ground — the earth
  23. tear — from crying
  24. ground — crushed

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