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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. kid — to tease
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. suit — to fit
  5. hand — in cards
  6. content — the amount
  7. squash — to crush
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. mug — a cup
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. squash — the sport
  14. content — happy
  15. cue — a signal
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. hand — help
  18. cue — a hint
  19. kid — child
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. suit — clothes
  22. suit — in cards
  23. cue — for pool
  24. mug — to rob

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