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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 120 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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. game — a match
  3. last — finally
  4. game — wild animals
  5. bank — for money
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. last — to go on
  10. mine — for digging
  11. bank — of a river
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. march — music
  14. last — final
  15. squash — to crush
  16. march — the month
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bank — for money
  19. squash — the sport
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. march — the month
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. wave — of the sea

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