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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. craft — boats
  3. ball — a great time
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. vault — a safe
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. craft — a skill
  9. branch — a division
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. key — the most important part
  15. clip — for paper
  16. content — the amount
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. clip — to cut
  19. key — for a lock
  20. key — in music
  21. ball — a dance
  22. content — happy
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. ball — a round shape

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