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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: lie · current · swing · chair · stand · rule

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. chair — a leader
  3. rule — a law
  4. current — electric
  5. current — happening now
  6. lie — to recline
  7. swing — in golf
  8. stand — to bear
  9. swing — music
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. swing — to play on
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. rule — government
  14. current — of water
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. chair — to sit 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