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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.

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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: vault · cap · tube · saw · bay · charge · prune · bat

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. cap — a lid
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — a container
  5. saw — the tool
  6. prune — to trim
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. cap — a hat
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. vault — a safe
  11. charge — in control
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. cap — of ice
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. saw — the tool
  20. charge — a price
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. prune — to trim
  23. charge — electricity
  24. bat — the animal

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