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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: kick · ruler · clip · mug · board · swing

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. board — to get on
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. clip — to cut
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. clip — for paper
  7. board — a committee
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. swing — in golf
  10. clip — a video
  11. mug — a cup
  12. swing — music
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. mug — a face
  15. kick — in football
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. mug — to rob
  18. board — a flat piece

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