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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. clip — to cut
  3. clip — a video
  4. land — ground
  5. land — a country
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. mine — for digging
  13. clip — for paper
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. vault — a safe
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. track — to keep track
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. track — a path
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. land — to come down
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. track — a song

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