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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 · vault · bear · arm · toast · tear · key · track

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. track — to keep track
  5. tear — from crying
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. clip — to cut
  9. track — a path
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bear — the animal
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. toast — bread
  17. key — in music
  18. vault — a safe
  19. clip — for paper
  20. tear — to rip
  21. clip — a video
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — for a lock
  24. bear — the animal

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