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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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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: swing · rush · bat · wax · prune · stand · cap · vault

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. cap — of ice
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — in golf
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bat — the animal
  8. stand — to bear
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. cap — a lid
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. vault — a safe
  17. rush — hurry
  18. prune — to trim
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. cap — a hat
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wax — to grow

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