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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 · chair · fall · swing · pop · board · mouse · face

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pop — to visit
  4. board — to get on
  5. chair — a leader
  6. pop — soda
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. fall — the season
  9. swing — to play on
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. face — to confront
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. board — a committee
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. fall — to drop
  19. face — part of the head
  20. pop — music
  21. fall — to drop
  22. face — to point toward
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. swing — music

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