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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. vault — a safe
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. fine — high quality
  6. clip — for paper
  7. clip — a video
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. can — to be able to
  10. fine — all right
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. clip — to cut
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. kick — in football
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. squash — to crush
  21. prune — to trim
  22. squash — the sport
  23. prune — to trim
  24. can — a tin

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