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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: band · swing · vault · rush · fall · sharp · snap · toast

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. swing — music
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. vault — a safe
  7. snap — to click
  8. fall — to drop
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. band — a ring
  14. rush — hurry
  15. toast — bread
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. fall — the season
  18. band — a music group
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. fall — to drop
  23. swing — in golf
  24. swing — to play on

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