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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. clip — to cut
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. fork — in a road
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. clip — for paper
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. deal — to handle
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. object — to protest
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. ball — a dance
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. vault — a safe
  18. object — a thing
  19. wound — an injury
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. clip — a video
  22. object — an aim
  23. ball — a great time
  24. deal — a big deal

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