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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. deal — to handle
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. file — a line of people
  6. cue — a hint
  7. squash — the sport
  8. wax — to grow
  9. file — a tool
  10. game — a match
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. rush — hurry
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. game — wild animals
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cue — a signal
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. squash — to crush
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. file — a document
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. wax — for sculpting

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