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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: wake · vault · net · stick · fan · wave · staff · swing

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. staff — a stick
  5. staff — employees
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. staff — employees
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. net — in sport
  12. vault — a safe
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. net — after costs
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. wake — a trail
  18. swing — music
  19. net — for catching
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. swing — to play on
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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