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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. pit — in a race
  3. bank — for money
  4. vault — a safe
  5. field — a subject
  6. bank — for money
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. field — for sport
  9. tube — a container
  10. tube — the underground
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. clip — to cut
  13. clip — for paper
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. pit — a hole
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. bank — of a river
  21. field — farmland
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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