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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: swing · craft · chest · object · ruler · mate

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mate — to breed
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. chest — a box
  7. object — an aim
  8. craft — a skill
  9. mate — a partner
  10. chest — of your body
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. swing — in golf
  13. object — to protest
  14. chest — of your body
  15. mate — a friend
  16. craft — boats
  17. swing — music
  18. object — a thing

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