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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. ground — crushed
  4. mine — for digging
  5. rush — hurry
  6. kid — to tease
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. squash — the sport
  9. kid — child
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. rule — a law
  14. ground — the earth
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. rule — government
  22. ground — a position
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. ruler — for measuring

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