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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: bank · swing · sharp · stick · straw · mug · vault · cabinet

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. vault — a safe
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. mug — a cup
  7. swing — in golf
  8. mug — to rob
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — clever
  11. swing — to play on
  12. bank — for money
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mug — a face
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. bank — of a river
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. swing — music
  22. bank — for money
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. cabinet — ministers

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