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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: clip · mug · vault · foot · lean · swing · branch · track

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. clip — a video
  3. swing — to play on
  4. mug — a cup
  5. branch — a division
  6. vault — a safe
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. swing — music
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. track — a song
  13. lean — to bend
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. mug — to rob
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. clip — to cut
  18. swing — in golf
  19. mug — a face
  20. track — a path
  21. lean — thin
  22. track — to keep track
  23. clip — for paper
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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