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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 120 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: swing · vault · mine · leaves · rash · rest · firm · cold

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. firm — a company
  5. swing — in golf
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. swing — music
  10. vault — a safe
  11. firm — decided
  12. rest — a break
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. rash — hasty
  16. swing — to play on
  17. rash — a series
  18. firm — steady
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. mine — for digging
  21. cold — an illness
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. rest — what's left
  24. cold — not warm

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