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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: cell · rock · key · lean · ruler · swing

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. cell — in biology
  3. key — the most important part
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. swing — music
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. key — for a lock
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. lean — thin
  10. key — in music
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. swing — to play on
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. cell — a phone
  15. swing — in golf
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rock — music
  18. ruler — for measuring

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