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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: swing · vault · chair · saw · deal · stick · fork · rush

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. chair — a leader
  6. swing — to play on
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. saw — the tool
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rush — hurry
  14. saw — the tool
  15. fork — in a road
  16. swing — music
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. vault — a safe
  20. swing — in golf
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. deal — to handle
  24. chair — to sit on

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