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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: lie · bat · safe · current · squash · vault · kid · charge

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. current — happening now
  3. vault — a safe
  4. charge — in control
  5. kid — child
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. current — electric
  8. squash — the sport
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — a price
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. lie — to recline
  18. kid — to tease
  19. current — of water
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. squash — to crush

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