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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: vault · lie · swing · rule · fan · current · ground · wound

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. swing — in golf
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. vault — a safe
  6. swing — music
  7. current — electric
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. current — of water
  10. lie — to recline
  11. ground — a position
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — government
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. swing — to play on
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. wound — an injury
  18. current — happening now
  19. ground — crushed
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wound — an injury
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. ground — the earth

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