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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. spring — a coil
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. vault — a safe
  6. track — a song
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. swing — music
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. rash — a series
  11. band — a ring
  12. clip — to cut
  13. track — to keep track
  14. spring — of water
  15. rash — hasty
  16. spring — the season
  17. band — a music group
  18. clip — a video
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. clip — for paper
  21. track — a path
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. swing — to play on
  24. saw — the tool

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