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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. bound — obliged
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. clip — a video
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. clip — for paper
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. vault — a safe
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. bound — tied together
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. bound — certain
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. clip — to cut
  21. rock — music
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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