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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. suit — in cards
  3. vault — a safe
  4. rule — a law
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — hurry
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. rule — government
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. wind — moving air
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. wind — moving air
  14. suit — clothes
  15. swing — to play on
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. swing — in golf
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. suit — to fit
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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