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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 · rock · cue · vault · capital · stick · snap · branch

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. cue — a hint
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. rock — a stone
  5. snap — to click
  6. capital — a city
  7. branch — a division
  8. cue — for pool
  9. vault — a safe
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. clip — for paper
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. clip — to cut
  18. capital — money
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. cue — a signal
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — of a tree

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