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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: chest · vault · bore · charge · dip · pop · chip · toast

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chest — of your body
  3. pop — music
  4. bore — to drill
  5. toast — bread
  6. charge — a price
  7. dip — to sink
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. charge — in control
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. vault — a safe
  14. chest — of your body
  15. bore — to tire
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — soda
  20. chest — a box
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. charge — electricity
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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