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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: ruler · swing · wind · chair · face · tube · bear · stand

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. tube — a container
  4. stand — to bear
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. chair — a leader
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. face — to confront
  12. swing — in golf
  13. swing — to play on
  14. wind — moving air
  15. face — to point toward
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. wind — moving air
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bear — the animal
  22. swing — music
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bear — the animal

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