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

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. swing — in golf
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. can — a tin
  6. tube — the underground
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. swing — music
  9. lie — to recline
  10. can — a tin
  11. date — the fruit
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. tube — a container
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. scale — in music
  16. swing — to play on
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. scale — size or range
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. kick — in football
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. can — to be able to

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