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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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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 · cell · swing · key · kid · lie

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. swing — in golf
  3. key — the most important part
  4. kid — child
  5. kid — to tease
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. lie — to recline
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. cell — a phone
  10. cell — in biology
  11. key — for a lock
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. key — in music
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. swing — music
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. swing — to play on

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