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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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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 · face · lie · ruler · date · pitcher · cabinet · kick

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. face — part of the head
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. swing — music
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. swing — in golf
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. lie — to recline
  13. face — to confront
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. kick — in football
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — the fruit
  23. face — to point toward
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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