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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
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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: lie · clip · ball · leaves · field · vault · pit · straw

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. clip — to cut
  3. ball — a great time
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. clip — for paper
  6. lie — to recline
  7. vault — a safe
  8. field — farmland
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. ball — a dance
  11. pit — a hole
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. field — a subject
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. clip — a video
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pit — in a race
  24. leaves — 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