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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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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 · swing · stem · pass · vault · fork · mug · spell

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. mug — to rob
  3. swing — music
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. spell — letters
  7. clip — to cut
  8. mug — a cup
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. swing — in golf
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. mug — a face
  13. spell — a short time
  14. pass — a permit
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fork — in a road
  17. vault — a safe
  18. spell — magic
  19. swing — to play on
  20. clip — for paper
  21. stem — to come from
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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