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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. mug — to rob
  6. wind — moving air
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. swing — music
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. swing — in golf
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. scale — in music
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. mug — a face
  16. scale — size or range
  17. mug — a cup
  18. vault — a safe

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