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

Word bank: toast · wind · vault · plane · pitch · clip

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. pitch — completely
  3. clip — a video
  4. wind — moving air
  5. vault — a safe
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. toast — bread
  8. clip — for paper
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. wind — moving air
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. clip — to cut
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. pitch — a sales talk

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