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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. clip — a video
  3. vault — a safe
  4. lie — to recline
  5. key — the most important part
  6. kid — child
  7. clip — for paper
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. stand — to bear
  10. can — to be able to
  11. key — for a lock
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. key — in music
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. clip — to cut
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. kid — to tease
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. plane — a tool
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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