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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 120 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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. face — to point toward
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. clip — a video
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. face — to confront
  8. clip — to cut
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. face — part of the head
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. club — for dancing
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. vault — a safe
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cue — a signal
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. club — for golf
  21. cue — a hint
  22. club — a group
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. branch — a division

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