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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  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. rush — a thrill
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. bass — low music
  4. dip — to sink
  5. rush — hurry
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. net — after costs
  8. clip — for paper
  9. root — of a word
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. clip — to cut
  13. root — the cause
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. deal — to handle
  17. vault — a safe
  18. net — in sport
  19. root — of a plant
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bass — the fish
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. net — for catching
  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