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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. clip — a video
  5. ground — the earth
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. ground — crushed
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. cell — a phone
  11. ground — a position
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. clip — for paper
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. cell — in biology
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bass — low music
  21. vault — a safe
  22. clip — to cut
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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