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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. current — electric
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. clip — a video
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pass — a permit
  12. object — a thing
  13. object — an aim
  14. clip — to cut
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. clip — for paper
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. vault — a safe
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. object — to protest
  21. deal — to handle
  22. current — of water
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. current — happening now

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