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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: swing · vault · drill · saw · date · clip · jam · land

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — the tool
  3. clip — to cut
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. swing — in golf
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. drill — army training
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. saw — the tool
  11. vault — a safe
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. clip — for paper
  14. land — to come down
  15. swing — to play on
  16. date — the fruit
  17. land — ground
  18. land — a country
  19. swing — music
  20. saw — the tool
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. clip — a video
  24. jam — a tight spot

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