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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. clip — to cut
  3. clip — for paper
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bank — of a river
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. vault — a safe
  9. lean — thin
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. bank — for money
  13. bound — certain
  14. mark — a trace
  15. bound — obliged
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. mark — a grade
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — moving air
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bank — for money
  24. lean — to bend

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