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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: clip · snap · object · pop · mark · vault · degree · rest

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. pop — music
  3. object — a thing
  4. clip — for paper
  5. clip — a video
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. degree — an amount
  8. rest — a break
  9. mark — a trace
  10. degree — from a university
  11. object — to protest
  12. degree — temperature
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. mark — a grade
  15. vault — a safe
  16. pop — soda
  17. object — an aim
  18. rest — what's left
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. snap — to click
  21. pop — to visit
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. clip — to cut

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