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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. clip — for paper
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. bound — obliged
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. clip — to cut
  9. clip — a video
  10. stand — to bear
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. deal — to handle
  17. snap — to click
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bound — tied together
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. vault — a safe
  24. bound — certain

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