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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. cue — for pool
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. rule — government
  5. foot — a measure
  6. mate — a friend
  7. tube — the underground
  8. mate — a partner
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. squash — the sport
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. mate — to breed
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. squash — to crush
  16. rule — a law
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. tube — a container
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. cue — a signal
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. snap — to click
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. cue — a hint

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