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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
468
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 · charge · land · nail · coach · tear · vault · stem

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. charge — electricity
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. clip — for paper
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. clip — to cut
  8. land — ground
  9. land — a country
  10. land — to come down
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. vault — a safe
  14. tear — from crying
  15. stem — to come from
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. charge — in control
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. tear — from crying
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. charge — a price
  22. tear — to rip
  23. clip — a video
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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