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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. bound — obliged
  5. clip — a video
  6. present — a gift
  7. clip — to cut
  8. scale — size or range
  9. present — the time now
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. prune — to trim
  12. cue — a signal
  13. scale — in music
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bound — tied together
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bound — certain
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. cue — for pool
  20. clip — for paper
  21. cue — a hint
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. hide — animal skin

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