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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. vault — a safe
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. cue — a hint
  7. pass — a permit
  8. deal — to handle
  9. clip — for paper
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. drill — the tool
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. kick — in football
  16. clip — a video
  17. drill — army training
  18. drill — a practice
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. cue — for pool
  24. cue — a signal

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