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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 · vault · arm · land · tube · spell · toast · stick

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. clip — to cut
  4. toast — bread
  5. clip — a video
  6. tube — a container
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. clip — for paper
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. vault — a safe
  13. land — ground
  14. tube — the underground
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. land — a country
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — magic
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. land — to come down
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. spell — a short time
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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