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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 · chest · mouse · wound · bound · stock · vault · bulb

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. wound — an injury
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — obliged
  6. vault — a safe
  7. stock — shares
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. chest — of your body
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wound — an injury
  15. chest — of your body
  16. stock — goods
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. charge — a price
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. charge — electricity
  23. chest — a box
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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