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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 · rest · vault · nail · date · pop · jam · net

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. pop — music
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. net — for catching
  6. clip — for paper
  7. date — the fruit
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — soda
  10. net — in sport
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. clip — a video
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. rest — what's left
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. rest — what's left
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. net — after costs
  21. clip — to cut
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. vault — a safe
  24. nail — for a hammer

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