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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rash — hasty
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. rush — hurry
  8. chip — to eat
  9. vault — a safe
  10. swing — to play on
  11. dip — to sink
  12. swing — music
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. swing — in golf
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. rash — a series
  21. chip — for betting
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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