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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: land · clip · stem · vault · key · press · straw · cue

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. cue — for pool
  3. land — ground
  4. clip — to cut
  5. land — a country
  6. stem — to come from
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. press — a publisher
  9. land — to come down
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. press — newspapers
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. key — for a lock
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. key — the most important part
  17. cue — a hint
  18. clip — for paper
  19. vault — a safe
  20. cue — a signal
  21. key — in music
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. press — to push

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