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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: pass · vault · saw · deal · shower · mug · swing · clip

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. pass — a permit
  5. shower — rain
  6. saw — the tool
  7. swing — in golf
  8. saw — the tool
  9. vault — a safe
  10. swing — to play on
  11. mug — to rob
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. mug — a face
  14. clip — to cut
  15. mug — a cup
  16. clip — a video
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. swing — music
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. deal — to handle
  23. clip — for paper
  24. shower — to wash

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