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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: ruler · bay · object · swing · mine · present

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. object — to protest
  4. present — the time now
  5. mine — for digging
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. present — there
  10. present — a gift
  11. swing — to play on
  12. object — a thing
  13. swing — music
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. swing — in golf
  17. object — an aim
  18. mine — an explosive

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