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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: fine · hide · vault · jam · fan · clip · tube · race

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  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. hide — to keep secret
  2. clip — to cut
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. tube — the underground
  8. fine — high quality
  9. clip — for paper
  10. race — humankind
  11. clip — a video
  12. tube — a container
  13. race — the arms race
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — a safe
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. race — a contest
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. fine — all right
  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