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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chair · wave · degree · staff · ruler · squash

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. chair — a leader
  7. degree — an amount
  8. squash — to crush
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — a stick
  13. squash — the sport
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. degree — temperature
  16. degree — from a university
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. staff — employees

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