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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. rock — a stone
  3. mate — a friend
  4. swing — in golf
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. hand — help
  8. clip — to cut
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a partner
  12. clip — for paper
  13. clip — a video
  14. swing — music
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. scale — size or range
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. hand — in cards
  21. scale — in music
  22. rock — music
  23. swing — to play on
  24. vault — a safe

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