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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. ground — the earth
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. vault — a safe
  5. ground — crushed
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. toast — bread
  9. rock — a stone
  10. charge — a price
  11. chest — a box
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. ground — a position
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. clip — to cut
  17. rock — music
  18. clip — a video
  19. charge — electricity
  20. wake — a trail
  21. chest — of your body
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. charge — in control
  24. chest — of your body

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