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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: ruler · cue · bay · band · bear · rest · squash · dip

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bear — the animal
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. squash — the sport
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. cue — a hint
  8. rest — what's left
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. band — a music group
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. cue — a signal
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. squash — to crush
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. rest — a break
  19. band — a ring
  20. cue — for pool
  21. bear — the animal
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. dip — to sink

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