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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rash · lean · squash · game · sharp · file · ruler · calf

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. squash — the sport
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. lean — thin
  9. squash — to crush
  10. game — a match
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. game — wild animals
  15. file — a tool
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. file — a line of people
  19. file — a document
  20. sharp — clever
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. rash — a series
  23. rash — hasty
  24. lean — to bend

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