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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 120 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
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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 · mouse · suit · plane · hide · court · clip · hand

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. court — for sport
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. vault — a safe
  5. suit — clothes
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. plane — a tool
  9. court — of a king
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. clip — a video
  14. hand — in cards
  15. clip — for paper
  16. suit — to fit
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. clip — to cut
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. suit — in cards
  21. hand — help
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. mouse — the animal

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