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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 116 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: swing · mark · chair · tear · ruler · vault · cabinet · squash

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. swing — to play on
  3. tear — from crying
  4. swing — music
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. swing — in golf
  13. squash — the sport
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mark — a trace
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. squash — to crush
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. tear — from crying
  20. chair — a leader
  21. mark — a grade
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. tear — to rip
  24. ruler — a monarch

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