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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: rush · ruler · spell · swing · firm · mouse · face · chair

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. swing — in golf
  4. swing — to play on
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. face — to point toward
  9. firm — a company
  10. firm — decided
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. spell — magic
  13. rush — hurry
  14. spell — letters
  15. swing — music
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. firm — steady
  18. chair — a leader
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. face — part of the head
  21. face — to confront
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rush — to hurry

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