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

Word bank: swing · stand · vault · squash · race · straw

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. squash — to crush
  3. squash — the sport
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. vault — a safe
  6. swing — in golf
  7. race — a contest
  8. swing — to play on
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. swing — music
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. race — the arms race
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. race — humankind
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — on your feet

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