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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. bank — for money
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. band — a ring
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. bank — of a river
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. rush — hurry
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. dip — to sink
  15. squash — the sport
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. game — a match
  18. squash — to crush
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bank — for money
  22. game — wild animals
  23. band — a music group
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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