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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: charge · vault · drill · pop · cap · hide · bay · perch

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. charge — electricity
  3. perch — the fish
  4. cap — a hat
  5. pop — music
  6. drill — a practice
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pop — soda
  11. cap — of ice
  12. drill — army training
  13. charge — in control
  14. drill — the tool
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. pop — to visit
  21. charge — a price
  22. cap — a lid
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. vault — a safe

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