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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. squash — to crush
  3. rash — a series
  4. mate — to breed
  5. tube — a container
  6. swing — music
  7. rush — hurry
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. swing — in golf
  10. swing — to play on
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. spring — a coil
  13. spring — of water
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mate — a partner
  17. spring — the season
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. squash — the sport
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rash — hasty
  22. tube — the underground
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. squash — the vegetable

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