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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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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: mate · bass · rest · content · ruler · swing · wind · cell

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. swing — in golf
  3. mate — to breed
  4. content — the amount
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. wind — moving air
  7. mate — a partner
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. rest — a break
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. rest — what's left
  12. cell — a phone
  13. mate — a friend
  14. bass — low music
  15. rest — what's left
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. swing — music
  18. content — happy
  19. swing — to play on
  20. bass — the fish
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. cell — in biology
  24. ruler — a monarch

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