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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 116 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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. clip — to cut
  3. bound — tied together
  4. clip — for paper
  5. bound — obliged
  6. tear — from crying
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. tear — to rip
  10. scale — size or range
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bound — certain
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. tear — from crying
  16. vault — a safe
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. clip — a video
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. stock — goods
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. stock — shares

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