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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 120 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: swing · foot · deal · patient · row · ruler · chair · chest

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. swing — to play on
  4. swing — in golf
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. row — to paddle
  8. foot — a measure
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. chest — a box
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. chair — a leader
  18. swing — music
  19. deal — to handle
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. row — a line
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. chair — to sit on

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