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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mate — a friend
  4. branch — a division
  5. vault — a safe
  6. clip — a video
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. clip — to cut
  9. mate — a partner
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitch — completely
  14. mine — for digging
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. mate — to breed
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. clip — for paper
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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