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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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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 · racket · field · press · vault · calf · tear · race

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. clip — to cut
  7. race — the arms race
  8. tear — to rip
  9. race — a contest
  10. tear — from crying
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. vault — a safe
  13. race — humankind
  14. clip — a video
  15. field — for sport
  16. field — farmland
  17. field — a subject
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. press — a publisher
  20. tear — from crying
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. clip — for paper
  23. press — to push
  24. calf — a young 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