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

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. swing — music
  3. field — farmland
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. object — an aim
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rule — government
  8. swing — to play on
  9. object — to protest
  10. chest — of your body
  11. hand — in cards
  12. lie — to recline
  13. field — for sport
  14. rule — a law
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. hand — help
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. field — a subject
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — a box
  21. swing — in golf
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. object — a thing

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