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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 116 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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. squash — to crush
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. band — a music group
  7. lean — thin
  8. hand — help
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. squash — the sport
  11. wound — an injury
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. wound — an injury
  14. hand — in cards
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. band — a ring
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. lean — to bend
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. suit — to fit
  23. stand — to bear
  24. suit — in cards

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