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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. clip — for paper
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. chip — to eat
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. fork — in a road
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. present — there
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — to protest
  14. clip — to cut
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. present — a gift
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. object — a thing
  19. vault — a safe
  20. mine — for digging
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. chip — for betting
  23. present — the time now
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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