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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 120 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 · pitcher · nail · ruler · wind · cell · rash · band

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. wind — moving air
  4. rash — hasty
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. cell — in biology
  7. band — a music group
  8. cell — a phone
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. rash — a series
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. band — a ring
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. squash — to crush
  16. wind — moving air
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. wind — to turn a key

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