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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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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 · ruler · rush · suit · rock · bowl · kick · swing

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. suit — to fit
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. hand — in cards
  8. swing — to play on
  9. hand — help
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. rock — a stone
  17. suit — in cards
  18. kick — in football
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. swing — in golf
  22. suit — clothes
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. swing — music

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