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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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Word bank
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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: ball · content · swing · lean · ruler · cap · rock · hide

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. content — happy
  4. cap — a hat
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. swing — to play on
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ball — a dance
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — a stone
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. content — the amount
  18. cap — of ice
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. swing — music
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. cap — a lid
  23. swing — in golf
  24. lean — to bend

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