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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. clip — for paper
  3. tear — from crying
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. clip — to cut
  6. land — to come down
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. land — ground
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — soda
  12. tear — to rip
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. pop — to visit
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. tear — from crying
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. foot — a measure
  19. clip — a video
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. plane — a tool
  23. vault — a safe
  24. land — a country

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