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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: hand · charge · wind · staff · ruler · face · swing · mine

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. swing — in golf
  6. hand — help
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. face — to confront
  10. staff — a stick
  11. charge — electricity
  12. face — to point toward
  13. staff — employees
  14. mine — for digging
  15. wind — moving air
  16. staff — employees
  17. charge — a price
  18. charge — in control
  19. hand — in cards
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. swing — to play on
  22. face — part of the head
  23. wind — moving air
  24. ruler — for measuring

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