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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: date · cold · capital · charge · vault · ball · lie · rash

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. charge — a price
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. charge — electricity
  6. vault — a safe
  7. ball — a dance
  8. rash — a series
  9. rash — hasty
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. charge — in control
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. lie — to recline
  16. cold — not warm
  17. ball — a great time
  18. capital — a city
  19. date — the fruit
  20. capital — money
  21. cold — an illness
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. date — on the calendar

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