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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. rock — a stone
  4. tube — the underground
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. rock — music
  8. scale — in music
  9. clip — to cut
  10. vault — a safe
  11. scale — size or range
  12. lean — thin
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. clip — for paper
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. snap — to click
  19. tube — a container
  20. clip — a video
  21. lean — to bend
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. tube — in a tire

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