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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bound — tied together
  7. branch — a division
  8. clip — to cut
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bound — obliged
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bat — the animal
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bound — certain
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. clip — for paper

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