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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: face · pit · rule · arm · current · swing · row · bound

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. face — part of the head
  3. bound — tied together
  4. swing — in golf
  5. row — a line
  6. pit — in a race
  7. current — electric
  8. rule — a law
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. row — to paddle
  11. face — to confront
  12. swing — to play on
  13. pit — a hole
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. bound — certain
  19. rule — government
  20. face — to point toward
  21. current — of water
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. current — happening now
  24. bound — obliged

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