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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 · cue · fan · arm · toast · march · nail · vault

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. march — music
  3. clip — to cut
  4. cue — for pool
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. cue — a signal
  7. march — the month
  8. clip — for paper
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. clip — a video
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. toast — bread
  16. cue — a hint
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. march — the month
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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