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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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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: hand · lie · bound · wave · pitcher · season · swing · vault

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. bound — obliged
  4. swing — music
  5. vault — a safe
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. season — of the year
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bound — certain
  11. lie — to recline
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. swing — in golf
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — help
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. season — in sport
  22. hand — in cards
  23. swing — to play on
  24. bound — tied together

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