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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: rash · game · kick · tear · bank · ruler · cap · cue

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. tear — from crying
  4. game — wild animals
  5. bank — for money
  6. game — a match
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. kick — in football
  10. bank — of a river
  11. rash — a series
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. tear — to rip
  14. cap — a lid
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. cap — of ice
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. cue — a hint
  19. bank — for money
  20. tear — from crying
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. rash — hasty
  23. cue — a signal
  24. cap — a hat

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