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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. mark — a grade
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. root — of a plant
  7. craft — a skill
  8. root — of a word
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. root — the cause
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. wind — moving air
  13. content — the amount
  14. clip — a video
  15. craft — boats
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. clip — for paper
  19. content — happy
  20. lie — to recline
  21. wind — moving air
  22. vault — a safe
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mark — a trace

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