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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. swing — in golf
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. current — happening now
  6. current — electric
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — to shout
  12. face — to confront
  13. wake — a trail
  14. tube — the underground
  15. face — to point toward
  16. tube — a container
  17. current — of water
  18. saw — the tool
  19. face — part of the head
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. swing — music
  24. saw — the tool

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