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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. rest — what's left
  4. net — in sport
  5. rest — what's left
  6. spring — the season
  7. race — humankind
  8. can — to be able to
  9. rest — a break
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. spring — a coil
  12. can — a tin
  13. swing — music
  14. wax — to grow
  15. spring — of water
  16. can — a tin
  17. swing — to play on
  18. race — a contest
  19. net — for catching
  20. net — after costs
  21. race — the arms race
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. vault — a safe

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