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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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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: vault · wave · mouse · rest · bat · sharp · bowl · swing

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. swing — in golf
  3. bat — the animal
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. rest — what's left
  8. swing — to play on
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. vault — a safe
  12. swing — music
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. rest — what's left
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. rest — a break
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. sharp — clever

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