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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: staff · ruler · track · swing · present · bulb · fall · vault

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. fall — to drop
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. swing — to play on
  7. swing — in golf
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. fall — the season
  10. bulb — for light
  11. track — to keep track
  12. present — the time now
  13. vault — a safe
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bulb — for light
  17. staff — a stick
  18. track — a song
  19. track — a path
  20. swing — music
  21. staff — employees
  22. present — a gift
  23. present — there
  24. staff — employees

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