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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: nail · fine · tube · perch · wax · press · clip · vault

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. clip — for paper
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. fine — all right
  7. perch — the fish
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. clip — a video
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. vault — a safe
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. wax — to grow
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. press — a publisher
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. press — newspapers
  20. clip — to cut
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. press — to push
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — in a tire

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