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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  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. scale — for weighing
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. scale — size or range
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bass — the fish
  10. clip — for paper
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bear — the animal
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. clip — to cut
  16. vault — a safe
  17. bear — the animal
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — a container
  20. bass — low music
  21. scale — in music
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. calf — of the leg
  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