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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.

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: rash · straw · swing · board · rest · vault · spell · can

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. can — a tin
  4. swing — music
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — a break
  8. spell — magic
  9. rash — a series
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. spell — letters
  12. board — a committee
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rest — what's left
  15. swing — in golf
  16. swing — to play on
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. vault — a safe
  22. spell — a short time
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. rash — on the skin

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