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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: squash · ruler · band · sharp · fall · row · pit · lash

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. row — a line
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. fall — the season
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. pit — in a race
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. squash — to crush
  9. band — a ring
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. fall — to drop
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. pit — a hole
  18. sharp — clever
  19. band — a music group
  20. row — to paddle
  21. squash — the sport
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. fall — to drop
  24. row — a quarrel

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