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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. clip — a video
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. firm — decided
  5. vault — a safe
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. clip — to cut
  15. firm — a company
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. clip — for paper
  19. bass — the fish
  20. firm — steady
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. bass — low music

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