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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 120 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 · squash · pound · nail · chest · swing · lean · pitcher

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. chest — a box
  5. lean — thin
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. lean — to bend
  8. swing — to play on
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. squash — to crush
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. rule — a law
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. swing — music
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. chest — of your body
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pound — a weight
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. chest — of your body
  22. squash — the sport
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. swing — in golf

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