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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.

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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: vault · tear · can · straw · hide · mine · bulb · clip

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. clip — a video
  4. can — a tin
  5. tear — from crying
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. clip — to cut
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. can — a tin
  11. bulb — for light
  12. can — to be able to
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. vault — a safe
  15. clip — for paper
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bulb — for light
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mine — belonging to me

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