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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: pitcher · ruler · hand · board · lie · face · race · swing

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. swing — music
  3. face — to point toward
  4. race — the arms race
  5. board — a committee
  6. race — humankind
  7. hand — help
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. hand — in cards
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. face — part of the head
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. board — to get on
  17. race — a contest
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. swing — to play on
  23. face — to confront
  24. swing — in golf

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