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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: march · clip · safe · vault · coach · race

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. race — humankind
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. clip — for paper
  8. march — the month
  9. vault — a safe
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. march — music
  13. race — the arms race
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. march — the month
  16. clip — to cut
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. race — a contest

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