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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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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: rush · kid · ruler · bowl · rule · fine · squash · chest

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. fine — high quality
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. fine — all right
  9. squash — to crush
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. rule — government
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — a box
  16. kid — child
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. rush — hurry
  19. chest — of your body
  20. kid — to tease
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. rule — a law

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