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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  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. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — clothes
  4. clip — for paper
  5. rock — music
  6. clip — a video
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. rock — a stone
  9. wake — a trail
  10. tear — to rip
  11. tear — from crying
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. tear — from crying
  18. vault — a safe
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. suit — in cards
  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