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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 116 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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — size or range
  3. scale — in music
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. drill — a practice
  6. clip — for paper
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. net — in sport
  10. clip — a video
  11. net — for catching
  12. vault — a safe
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. clip — to cut
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. drill — army training
  17. drill — the tool
  18. net — after costs

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