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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · foot · nail · jam · vault · bark · stem · ball

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. clip — a video
  3. vault — a safe
  4. clip — for paper
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. clip — to cut
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. ball — a great time
  15. bark — to shout
  16. foot — a measure
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. jam — a tight spot

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