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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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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: chest · rash · ruler · bear · swing · kid

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. chest — of your body
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bear — the animal
  5. swing — to play on
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. swing — music
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. chest — a box
  10. chest — of your body
  11. rash — a series
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. rash — hasty
  15. swing — in golf
  16. bear — the animal
  17. kid — child
  18. kid — to tease

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