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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: ruler · chest · patient · swing · face · rock · content · stem

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. swing — to play on
  3. content — the amount
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rock — a stone
  7. content — happy
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. stem — to come from
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. face — part of the head
  12. chest — of your body
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. rock — music
  15. face — to confront
  16. swing — music
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. chest — of your body
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. swing — in golf
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. face — to point toward
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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