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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: swing · mug · chest · lie · ruler · bound · kid · saw

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — a box
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. swing — in golf
  6. bound — tied together
  7. mug — a face
  8. mug — to rob
  9. saw — the tool
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. chest — of your body
  12. swing — music
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mug — a cup
  15. bound — certain
  16. kid — to tease
  17. lie — to recline
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bound — obliged
  21. kid — child
  22. swing — to play on
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. lie — an untruth

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