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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.

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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: content · wind · mouse · vault · coach · swing · stem · saw

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. swing — in golf
  5. stem — to come from
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. content — happy
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. vault — a safe
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. wind — moving air
  13. content — the amount
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. swing — to play on
  20. swing — music
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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