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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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Word bank
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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: swing · rush · saw · vault · stem · fine · cap · chair

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. cap — of ice
  4. chair — a leader
  5. fine — high quality
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stem — to come from
  8. cap — a hat
  9. swing — music
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. fine — all right
  13. cap — a lid
  14. rush — hurry
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. swing — to play on
  18. vault — a safe
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. rush — a thrill

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