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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: present · clip · pop · key · drill · leaves · bound · vault

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bound — tied together
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. present — the time now
  5. clip — to cut
  6. clip — a video
  7. present — there
  8. drill — army training
  9. vault — a safe
  10. present — a gift
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. drill — the tool
  13. pop — soda
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. bound — obliged
  17. key — the most important part
  18. pop — to visit
  19. bound — certain
  20. clip — for paper
  21. key — for a lock
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. key — in music
  24. drill — a practice

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