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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bay · vault · leaves · key · charge · content · rush · wound

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. key — for a lock
  6. wound — an injury
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. charge — electricity
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. key — in music
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. charge — in control
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. charge — a price
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. key — the most important part
  21. content — the amount
  22. content — happy
  23. vault — a safe
  24. leaves — of a tree

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