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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. object — to protest
  3. can — a tin
  4. spring — of water
  5. spring — the season
  6. object — an aim
  7. ground — crushed
  8. clip — for paper
  9. march — the month
  10. clip — to cut
  11. can — to be able to
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. ground — a position
  14. clip — a video
  15. lie — to recline
  16. object — a thing
  17. march — music
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. vault — a safe
  21. spring — a coil
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. can — a tin
  24. ground — the earth

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