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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: rest · squash · cold · ruler · jam · root · key · stick

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rest — what's left
  3. cold — an illness
  4. key — for a lock
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rest — what's left
  7. cold — not warm
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. root — of a plant
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. squash — the sport
  13. key — the most important part
  14. squash — to crush
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. root — of a word
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. key — in music
  24. root — the cause

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