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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. swing — to play on
  7. roll — a list
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. swing — in golf
  12. roll — a cake
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bank — of a river
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to click
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — for money
  20. plane — a tool
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. ruler — for measuring

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