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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.

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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. pound — a weight
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. file — a line of people
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bark — to shout
  10. foot — a measure
  11. game — a match
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. game — wild animals
  14. lie — to recline
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. file — a tool
  17. vault — a safe
  18. file — a document
  19. clip — for paper
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. clip — to cut

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