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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  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. clip — to cut
  2. object — a thing
  3. bass — low music
  4. bass — the fish
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. clip — a video
  7. kid — child
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. kid — to tease
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rock — a stone
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. vault — a safe
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. object — an aim
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. object — to protest
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. rock — music
  23. rock — to move gently
  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