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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 116 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: club · row · vault · mark · swing · lie · drill · wind

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. swing — in golf
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. club — for golf
  5. row — to paddle
  6. drill — army training
  7. mark — a trace
  8. wind — moving air
  9. club — a group
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. swing — music
  14. drill — a practice
  15. row — a line
  16. vault — a safe
  17. wind — moving air
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. swing — to play on
  20. drill — the tool
  21. lie — to recline
  22. club — for dancing
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. mark — a grade

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