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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

Word bank: face · kick · patient · ruler · rash · swing

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. swing — music
  5. rash — hasty
  6. swing — in golf
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. face — part of the head
  11. swing — to play on
  12. face — to confront
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. face — to point toward
  17. rash — a series
  18. kick — in football

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