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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: staff · cap · rush · spell · vault · dip · wound · swing

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. staff — a stick
  3. rush — hurry
  4. wound — an injury
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. swing — music
  7. staff — employees
  8. swing — to play on
  9. spell — letters
  10. vault — a safe
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. cap — a hat
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. staff — employees
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. dip — to sink
  17. cap — of ice
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. cap — a lid
  20. spell — magic
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. wound — an injury
  23. swing — in golf
  24. rush — a thrill

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