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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: mate · kick · clip · rash · wound · ruler · pass · squash

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rash — a series
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. clip — for paper
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. kick — in football
  9. squash — to crush
  10. mate — to breed
  11. squash — the sport
  12. wound — an injury
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. clip — a video
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. pass — a permit
  18. mate — a partner
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. wound — an injury
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. mate — a friend
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. clip — to cut

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