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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: degree · vault · clip · mug · track · lie · net · key

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. mug — a cup
  3. key — for a lock
  4. key — the most important part
  5. vault — a safe
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. clip — a video
  8. mug — to rob
  9. track — a song
  10. net — in sport
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. clip — for paper
  13. track — a path
  14. key — in music
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. mug — a face
  17. net — for catching
  18. degree — from a university
  19. degree — temperature
  20. net — after costs
  21. track — to keep track
  22. degree — an amount
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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