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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pop · clip · vault · spell · plane · jam · cap · arm

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. cap — of ice
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. vault — a safe
  5. cap — a lid
  6. clip — to cut
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. spell — a short time
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. clip — a video
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. spell — magic
  14. pop — soda
  15. pop — to visit
  16. spell — letters
  17. cap — a hat
  18. plane — a tool
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. pop — music
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. jam — in traffic

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