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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. My father caught me by 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. pop — music
  2. tube — the underground
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. pop — to visit
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. face — part of the head
  7. clip — for paper
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. pop — soda
  10. vault — a safe
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wake — a trail
  13. clip — to cut
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. face — to point toward
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. tube — a container
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stand — to bear
  22. face — to confront
  23. arm — part of the body
  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