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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: firm · vault · roll · swing · file · leaves · rule · racket

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. file — a line of people
  4. swing — to play on
  5. rule — government
  6. firm — steady
  7. file — a tool
  8. roll — a list
  9. roll — a cake
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. firm — decided
  13. firm — a company
  14. swing — music
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. vault — a safe
  17. swing — in golf
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. rule — a law
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. file — a document
  24. leaves — to go away

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