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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: scale · trunk · safe · chair · spring · swing · hide · ruler

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  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. chair — to sit on
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. swing — to play on
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. swing — music
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. spring — of water
  15. scale — size or range
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. chair — a leader
  19. spring — the season
  20. scale — in music
  21. spring — a coil
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. hide — animal skin
  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