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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 120 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
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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: charge · land · cue · fan · calf · sharp · straw · vault

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. land — ground
  7. cue — a hint
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. charge — a price
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. sharp — clever
  15. charge — in control
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. land — a country
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. charge — electricity
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. cue — for pool
  22. vault — a safe
  23. cue — a signal
  24. land — to come down

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