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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: mouse · wind · roll · clip · chair · vault · cell · mark

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  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. roll — a cake
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. wind — moving air
  5. clip — to cut
  6. mark — a grade
  7. wind — moving air
  8. chair — a leader
  9. mark — a trace
  10. clip — a video
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. roll — a list
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. cell — a phone
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. cell — in biology
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. clip — for paper
  23. chair — a professorship
  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