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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. lean — to bend
  4. drill — the tool
  5. vault — a safe
  6. clip — to cut
  7. clip — a video
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. ball — a great time
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — to visit
  13. drill — army training
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. ball — a dance
  16. pop — music
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. fine — high quality
  19. board — a committee
  20. clip — for paper
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. fine — all right
  23. drill — a practice
  24. lean — thin

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