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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 116 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: current · cell · wave · deal · vault · pit · swing · rush

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. rush — hurry
  3. vault — a safe
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. current — electric
  7. swing — to play on
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. current — happening now
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. deal — to handle
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. swing — music
  16. current — of water
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. swing — in golf
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. cell — in biology
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. pit — a hole
  23. cell — a phone
  24. pit — in a race

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