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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. clip — a video
  3. fall — to drop
  4. current — of water
  5. vault — a safe
  6. face — to confront
  7. clip — to cut
  8. cap — of ice
  9. fall — to drop
  10. current — electric
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. face — part of the head
  13. key — in music
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. face — to point toward
  17. clip — for paper
  18. key — the most important part
  19. cap — a lid
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. cap — a hat
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. fall — the season
  24. current — happening now

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