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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 116 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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. squash — the sport
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. clip — for paper
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. ground — the earth
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. ground — a position
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. ground — crushed
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. vault — a safe
  17. squash — to crush
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. plane — a tool
  21. clip — to cut
  22. snap — to click
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. clip — a video

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