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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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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: racket · squash · bound · tear · face · ruler · swing · ground

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. swing — music
  3. bound — obliged
  4. swing — in golf
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bound — tied together
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. swing — to play on
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — to rip
  12. squash — the sport
  13. face — part of the head
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. face — to confront
  19. squash — to crush
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ground — a position
  22. ground — the earth
  23. bound — certain
  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