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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 120 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: clip · swing · rush · stick · bowl · fan · vault · cabinet

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. swing — in golf
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. swing — music
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. clip — for paper
  16. clip — to cut
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. swing — to play on
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. clip — a video
  24. bowl — a dish

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