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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: staff · bowl · wake · dip · firm · ruler · squash · cell

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. staff — employees
  5. cell — in biology
  6. squash — to crush
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. firm — a company
  11. squash — the sport
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. staff — employees
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. wake — a trail
  16. dip — to sink
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. staff — a stick
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. firm — decided
  21. cell — a phone
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. firm — steady
  24. bowl — a dish

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