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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. vault — a safe
  3. court — of a king
  4. clip — for paper
  5. spring — of water
  6. swing — music
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. court — of law
  10. mate — a partner
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. clip — to cut
  14. mate — a friend
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. spring — a coil
  17. swing — to play on
  18. swing — in golf
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. spring — the season
  21. mate — to breed
  22. clip — a video
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. court — for sport

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