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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. present — the time now
  3. mark — a trace
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. staff — employees
  6. land — to come down
  7. land — a country
  8. clip — to cut
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. staff — employees
  11. mark — a grade
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. clip — for paper
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. staff — a stick
  16. land — ground
  17. rock — music
  18. present — there
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. snap — to click
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. present — a gift
  23. rock — a stone
  24. clip — a video

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