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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: swing · mark · cell · staff · fall · vault · can · lash

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  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. mark — a grade
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — to play on
  4. cell — a phone
  5. staff — employees
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. vault — a safe
  9. cell — in biology
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. fall — the season
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. staff — employees
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — to drop
  18. can — to be able to
  19. staff — a stick
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. can — a tin
  22. mark — a trace
  23. can — a tin
  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