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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. clip — a video
  3. vault — a safe
  4. club — for golf
  5. band — a music group
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. dip — to sink
  9. clip — for paper
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. clip — to cut
  13. row — to paddle
  14. band — a ring
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. bore — to drill
  17. club — for dancing
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. club — a group
  21. bore — to tire
  22. row — a line
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. row — a quarrel

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