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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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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: present · vault · squash · straw · spring · tube · swing · plane

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. squash — to crush
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. spring — a coil
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. tube — the underground
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. present — there
  10. present — a gift
  11. tube — a container
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. swing — music
  15. plane — a tool
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. squash — the sport
  18. present — the time now
  19. vault — a safe
  20. spring — the season
  21. spring — of water
  22. swing — to play on
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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