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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: rule · chest · net · hide · ruler · coach · swing · vault

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. chest — of your body
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. chest — of your body
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. swing — in golf
  11. rule — a law
  12. swing — music
  13. rule — government
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. vault — a safe
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — after costs
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. swing — to play on
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. chest — a box

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