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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. swing — in golf
  3. fork — in a road
  4. press — to push
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bound — certain
  7. fall — to drop
  8. swing — to play on
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. press — newspapers
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. press — a publisher
  14. ball — a great time
  15. fall — the season
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. game — a match
  18. bound — obliged
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. bound — tied together
  21. ball — a dance
  22. game — wild animals
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. swing — music

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