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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: present · ruler · swing · spell · row · bat · vault · wake

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. spell — a short time
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. swing — music
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. row — to paddle
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. present — a gift
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. present — the time now
  11. spell — letters
  12. vault — a safe
  13. spell — magic
  14. present — there
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. row — a line
  17. swing — to play on
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wake — a trail
  21. swing — in golf
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. bat — for baseball

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