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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. clip — for paper
  3. clip — to cut
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. swing — music
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. face — part of the head
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. tube — the underground
  15. swing — to play on
  16. tube — a container
  17. vault — a safe
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. face — to confront
  21. branch — a division
  22. swing — in golf
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. face — to point toward

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