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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 116 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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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: ruler · key · band · squash · pop · lash · rest · tube

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. band — a ring
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. pop — to visit
  7. key — for a lock
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. tube — a container
  10. tube — the underground
  11. band — a music group
  12. pop — music
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. squash — to crush
  16. key — in music
  17. rest — a break
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pop — soda
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. squash — the sport
  23. key — the most important part
  24. rest — what's left

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