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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cue · present · vault · last · bound · swing · squash · hand

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. present — a gift
  3. cue — a hint
  4. present — the time now
  5. squash — to crush
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. cue — for pool
  8. present — there
  9. cue — a signal
  10. squash — the sport
  11. bound — certain
  12. last — to go on
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. hand — in cards
  16. swing — in golf
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. bound — obliged
  19. last — final
  20. vault — a safe
  21. swing — music
  22. hand — help
  23. last — finally
  24. swing — to play on

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