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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. clip — a video
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. cell — a phone
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. tear — from crying
  8. clip — for paper
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. tear — to rip
  13. clip — to cut
  14. drill — the tool
  15. cell — in biology
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. drill — a practice
  18. tear — from crying
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. drill — army training
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. vault — a safe

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