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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: present · clip · date · wind · vault · hide

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. clip — to cut
  3. wind — moving air
  4. present — there
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. present — the time now
  8. clip — a video
  9. date — the fruit
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. clip — for paper
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. vault — a safe
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. wind — moving air
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. present — a gift
  18. date — on the calendar

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