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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
468
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: dip · bat · swing · vault · rush · straw · mine · cue

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. dip — to sink
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bat — the animal
  9. swing — to play on
  10. vault — a safe
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — for digging
  13. cue — a signal
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. swing — in golf
  18. rush — hurry
  19. swing — music
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. cue — for pool
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. cue — a hint

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