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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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. snap — to snap out of it
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — moving air
  6. tube — the underground
  7. bear — the animal
  8. last — final
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — in sport
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. tube — a container
  14. last — to go on
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. season — of the year
  18. last — finally
  19. squash — the sport
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. snap — to click
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. bear — the animal
  24. wind — to turn a key

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