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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. vault — a safe
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. scale — in music
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bulb — for light
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. saw — the tool
  9. object — to protest
  10. clip — for paper
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. scale — size or range
  13. saw — the tool
  14. object — a thing
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. object — an aim
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. bulb — for light
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. clip — to cut
  22. fork — in a road
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. scale — for weighing

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