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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. mark — a grade
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. squash — to crush
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. swing — music
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. swing — to play on
  13. spring — the season
  14. vault — a safe
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. spring — of water
  17. squash — the sport
  18. mark — a trace
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. spring — a coil
  21. row — a line
  22. row — to paddle
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. nail — for a hammer

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