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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. staff — employees
  4. last — finally
  5. board — to get on
  6. clip — a video
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. staff — employees
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. clip — to cut
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. last — to go on
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. vault — a safe
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. board — a committee
  21. date — the fruit
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. staff — a stick
  24. last — final

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