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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: lean · kid · perch · charge · stick · mug · vault · object

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. object — an aim
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. perch — the fish
  8. charge — electricity
  9. mug — a cup
  10. lean — thin
  11. vault — a safe
  12. object — to protest
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. charge — in control
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. mug — a face
  19. lean — to bend
  20. kid — child
  21. object — a thing
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. charge — a price
  24. mug — to rob

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