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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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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: clip · mate · dip · vault · land · lash · craft · key

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. key — the most important part
  3. land — a country
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. clip — a video
  6. land — to come down
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. land — ground
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. vault — a safe
  12. dip — to sink
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. mate — to breed
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. clip — for paper
  17. craft — boats
  18. key — in music
  19. mate — a friend
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. mate — a partner
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. craft — a skill
  24. key — for a lock

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