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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. firm — decided
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. branch — a division
  9. clip — a video
  10. tear — from crying
  11. ball — a great time
  12. vault — a safe
  13. present — there
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. clip — to cut
  16. present — a gift
  17. ball — a dance
  18. present — the time now
  19. firm — steady
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. tear — to rip
  22. firm — a company
  23. tear — from crying
  24. arm — part of the body

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