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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 120 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: swing · foot · rule · fine · chair · snap

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. swing — music
  6. fine — high quality
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. foot — a measure
  9. swing — in golf
  10. chair — a leader
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. rule — a law
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. fine — all right
  15. rule — government
  16. snap — to click
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. swing — to play 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