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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: stick · wound · straw · nail · mark · scale · vault · clip

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. mark — a grade
  4. wound — an injury
  5. scale — in music
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mark — a trace
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. clip — for paper
  14. scale — size or range
  15. vault — a safe
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. wound — an injury
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. clip — to cut
  23. clip — a video
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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