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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 116 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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. swing — in golf
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. drill — the tool
  6. drill — a practice
  7. swing — to play on
  8. object — an aim
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. drill — army training
  12. field — a subject
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. saw — the tool
  15. field — for sport
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. saw — the tool
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. swing — music
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. object — to protest
  24. field — farmland

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