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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: straw · swing · rest · snap · deal · vault · pass · fall

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. fall — the season
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. swing — to play on
  7. fall — to drop
  8. snap — to click
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. deal — to handle
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. vault — a safe
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. rest — what's left
  17. swing — in golf
  18. pass — a permit
  19. rest — a break
  20. rest — what's left
  21. fall — to drop
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. swing — music
  24. straw — dry grass

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