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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: file · wind · rule · suit · vault · swing

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. swing — to play on
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. swing — in golf
  5. suit — to fit
  6. wind — moving air
  7. swing — music
  8. suit — in cards
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. file — a document
  11. file — a line of people
  12. rule — a law
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. rule — government
  15. wind — moving air
  16. file — a tool
  17. vault — a safe
  18. suit — clothes

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