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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. clip — to cut
  3. squash — the sport
  4. vault — a safe
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. net — in sport
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. net — after costs
  11. clip — for paper
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. rash — a series
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. rash — hasty
  18. net — for catching
  19. mark — a trace
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. squash — to crush
  22. mark — a grade
  23. clip — a video
  24. wave — with your hand

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