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

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. mark — a grade
  4. swing — music
  5. vault — a safe
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. mark — a trace
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. swing — in golf
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. rash — a series
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. rash — hasty

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