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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. kid — child
  4. root — the cause
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. kid — to tease
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. root — of a word
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bound — obliged
  13. root — of a plant
  14. mine — for digging
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. bound — certain
  17. squash — to crush
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. squash — the sport
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bound — tied together
  24. rush — hurry

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