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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. clip — a video
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. prune — to trim
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. lean — to bend
  10. fine — all right
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. lean — thin
  13. prune — to trim
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. ground — a position
  16. vault — a safe
  17. clip — to cut
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. clip — for paper
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. stand — to bear
  22. ground — crushed
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. ground — the earth

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