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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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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: mouse · wake · face · charge · stand · vault · cold · key

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. cold — an illness
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. face — part of the head
  8. key — the most important part
  9. charge — a price
  10. face — to point toward
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. charge — in control
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. cold — not warm
  16. vault — a safe
  17. charge — electricity
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. face — to confront
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — in music
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stand — on your feet

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