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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: stand · clip · vault · mine · charge · tube · calf · bay

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. mine — for digging
  3. tube — a container
  4. charge — a price
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. charge — in control
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. clip — to cut
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — to bear
  13. clip — for paper
  14. vault — a safe
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. charge — electricity
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. tube — the underground
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. calf — a young 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