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

Word bank: ruler · squash · chest · deal · stand · swing

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. 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 — in golf
  2. swing — music
  3. chest — of your body
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. squash — to crush
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. chest — a box
  10. squash — the sport
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — to handle
  13. chest — of your body
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — to bear
  17. swing — to play on
  18. 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