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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 · suit · wake · content · cell · kick · vault · fall

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. wake — a trail
  4. content — happy
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. kick — in football
  7. content — the amount
  8. charge — in control
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. fall — to drop
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. fall — the season
  14. cell — in biology
  15. cell — a phone
  16. suit — clothes
  17. charge — a price
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. suit — to fit
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. charge — electricity
  22. suit — in cards
  23. vault — a safe
  24. fall — to drop

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