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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. mark — a trace
  7. clip — for paper
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. mark — a grade
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. plane — a tool
  12. vault — a safe
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. clip — to cut
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. mark — to pay attention

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