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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: last · rest · cap · arm · swing · vault · mark · fork

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. swing — in golf
  3. mark — a grade
  4. last — to go on
  5. fork — in a road
  6. swing — to play on
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. last — finally
  10. mark — a trace
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. cap — a lid
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. rest — a break
  16. vault — a safe
  17. last — final
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. cap — of ice
  20. swing — music
  21. rest — what's left
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. rest — what's left
  24. arm — a part of something

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