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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. clip — for paper
  7. deal — to handle
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. vault — a safe
  10. wax — to grow
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — hasty
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. rash — a series
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. clip — to cut
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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