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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: cue · drill · vault · clip · stand · cabinet · rock · race

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. drill — army training
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. vault — a safe
  9. cue — a signal
  10. clip — a video
  11. stand — to bear
  12. rock — music
  13. drill — the tool
  14. cue — a hint
  15. drill — a practice
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cue — for pool
  18. race — humankind
  19. rock — a stone
  20. clip — for paper
  21. race — the arms race
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. race — a contest
  24. rock — to move gently

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