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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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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: rest · clip · hide · perch · vault · toast · calf · sharp

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. toast — bread
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. rest — what's left
  8. clip — to cut
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. perch — the fish
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. clip — for paper
  17. sharp — clever
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. vault — a safe
  24. sharp — exactly

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