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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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Word bank
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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: vault · swing · sharp · ball · plane · bulb · rash · coach

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. swing — to play on
  4. swing — music
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. plane — a tool
  8. bulb — for light
  9. ball — a dance
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — a series
  14. vault — a safe
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. sharp — clever
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bulb — for light
  22. ball — a great time
  23. swing — in golf
  24. ball — a round shape

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