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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. clip — to cut
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. band — a ring
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. bulb — for light
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. clip — a video
  14. shower — rain
  15. bulb — for light
  16. shower — to wash
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. board — a committee
  19. prune — to trim
  20. band — a music group
  21. vault — a safe
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. prune — to trim
  24. board — to get on

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