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

Word bank: swing · hand · lean · pitch · tear · ruler

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  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. ruler — a monarch
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. tear — from crying
  4. pitch — completely
  5. swing — music
  6. lean — to bend
  7. swing — in golf
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — to rip
  10. swing — to play on
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. hand — help
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. lean — thin
  16. hand — in cards
  17. lean — to rest against
  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