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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 124 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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. clip — for paper
  3. clip — a video
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. ground — crushed
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. bank — of a river
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. mate — to breed
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. fine — all right
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bank — for money
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. tube — a container
  16. mate — a friend
  17. ground — a position
  18. ground — the earth
  19. vault — a safe
  20. fine — high quality
  21. mate — a partner
  22. bank — for money
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. tube — the underground

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