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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lash · march · bound · squash · safe · cue · pitcher · rule

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. squash — the sport
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bound — tied together
  7. squash — to crush
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. march — the month
  11. cue — a hint
  12. cue — for pool
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. march — the month
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. cue — a signal
  20. rule — a law
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bound — certain
  23. march — music
  24. squash — the vegetable

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