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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. fall — the season
  3. clip — a video
  4. craft — boats
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. clip — for paper
  7. vault — a safe
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. fall — to drop
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. craft — a skill
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. stand — to bear
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. fall — to drop
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. clip — to cut

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