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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 120 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: snap · squash · calf · staff · swing · row · vault · rush

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. row — to paddle
  5. rush — hurry
  6. swing — music
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. squash — to crush
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. swing — to play on
  13. snap — to click
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. squash — the sport
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. staff — a stick
  18. swing — in golf
  19. vault — a safe
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. staff — employees
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. staff — employees

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