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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. suit — in cards
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. clip — a video
  7. clip — to cut
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. suit — clothes
  11. rule — a law
  12. mark — a grade
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. mark — a trace
  15. rule — government
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bass — low music
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. vault — a safe
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. bass — the fish
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. suit — to fit

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