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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · game · object · ruler · face · rest · bark · pitcher

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. swing — in golf
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. rest — what's left
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. game — wild animals
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bark — to shout
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. object — an aim
  13. rest — a break
  14. object — a thing
  15. swing — to play on
  16. game — a match
  17. face — to confront
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. object — to protest
  21. face — part of the head
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. swing — music
  24. face — to point toward

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