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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: band · bark · swing · straw · prune · suit · vault · wake

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. suit — clothes
  6. swing — in golf
  7. swing — to play on
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. band — a ring
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. band — a music group
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. swing — music
  15. prune — to trim
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. bark — to shout
  19. suit — in cards
  20. prune — to trim
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. vault — a safe
  24. wake — a trail

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