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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: racket · vault · rock · wake · hide · rest · band · swing

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — to play on
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rock — music
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. rock — a stone
  16. wake — a trail
  17. band — a ring
  18. rest — what's left
  19. band — a music group
  20. vault — a safe
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. rest — a break
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. swing — in golf

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