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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 116 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: swing · scale · key · vault · clip · hide · safe · hand

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. hand — in cards
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. scale — in music
  5. clip — to cut
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. swing — music
  8. key — in music
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. clip — for paper
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. scale — size or range
  14. swing — to play on
  15. key — for a lock
  16. hand — help
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. swing — in golf
  23. key — the most important part
  24. vault — a safe

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