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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: cap · object · hand · swing · foot · ruler · face · mouse

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. object — a thing
  3. swing — to play on
  4. cap — a lid
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. object — to protest
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. foot — a measure
  11. hand — help
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. face — to confront
  15. cap — a hat
  16. object — an aim
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. swing — in golf
  19. hand — in cards
  20. swing — music
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. face — to point toward
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. face — part of the head

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