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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. charge — in control
  4. plane — a tool
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. clip — to cut
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. clip — a video
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. wax — to grow
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bark — to shout
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. snap — to click
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. charge — electricity
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. charge — a price

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