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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. clip — a video
  3. track — a path
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. fine — high quality
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. object — a thing
  8. clip — for paper
  9. fine — all right
  10. track — a song
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. clip — to cut
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. vault — a safe
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bore — to tire
  17. object — an aim
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bore — to drill
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. track — to keep track
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. object — to protest

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