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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 116 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: vault · sharp · stand · clip · nail · pitch · face · perch

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. face — to point toward
  3. face — part of the head
  4. clip — for paper
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. perch — the fish
  7. clip — to cut
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. vault — a safe
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. face — to confront
  15. stand — to bear
  16. pitch — completely
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. sharp — clever
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. stand — for spectators

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