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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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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: snap · lean · stand · mine · mate · game · ruler · squash

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. stand — to bear
  4. snap — to click
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. game — wild animals
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. mate — a partner
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. mate — a friend
  15. lean — to bend
  16. squash — to crush
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. lean — thin
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — a match
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. mine — for digging
  24. squash — the sport

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