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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 120 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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. staff — a stick
  3. clip — to cut
  4. clip — for paper
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. plane — a tool
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. staff — employees
  9. net — in sport
  10. cap — of ice
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. cap — a lid
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. bear — the animal
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — for catching
  20. bear — the animal
  21. vault — a safe
  22. branch — a division
  23. staff — employees
  24. cap — a hat

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