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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. clip — a video
  4. press — to push
  5. bark — to shout
  6. wound — an injury
  7. clip — to cut
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. wound — an injury
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. clip — for paper
  12. bound — certain
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bound — obliged
  19. press — a publisher
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. bound — tied together
  22. press — newspapers
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. bark — of a tree

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