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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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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: squash · kick · spell · ruler · fall · chest

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. chest — of your body
  4. spell — magic
  5. squash — to crush
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. squash — the sport
  8. chest — a box
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. kick — in football
  13. chest — of your body
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spell — letters
  16. fall — to drop
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. fall — the season

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