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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: swing · fall · root · hide · ruler · chip

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. swing — music
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. root — of a plant
  8. swing — in golf
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. fall — the season
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. root — the cause
  13. swing — to play on
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. root — of a word
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — for betting
  18. hide — to keep secret

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