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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 120 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 · mine · stick · vault · craft · cabinet · bulb · deal

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. clip — for paper
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bulb — for light
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. clip — to cut
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. deal — to handle
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mine — for digging
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bulb — for light
  16. craft — a skill
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. vault — a safe

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