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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. track — a path
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. vault — a safe
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. perch — the fish
  7. fork — in a road
  8. clip — a video
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. clip — to cut
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. track — a song
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. track — to keep track
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. deal — to handle
  24. clip — for paper

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