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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 116 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: fork · race · rest · saw · coach · swing · ruler · kick

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. saw — the tool
  3. swing — in golf
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. kick — in football
  7. race — a contest
  8. rest — what's left
  9. fork — in a road
  10. rest — a break
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. race — the arms race
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. rest — what's left
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. race — humankind
  20. saw — the tool
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. swing — music
  23. swing — to play on
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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