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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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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. drill — a practice
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. spell — letters
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. squash — the sport
  15. spell — magic
  16. squash — to crush
  17. chip — for betting
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. spell — a short time
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. wax — to grow
  22. drill — army training
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. drill — the tool

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