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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: suit · ruler · mouse · staff · land · hide · squash · bat

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. suit — in cards
  3. land — a country
  4. staff — employees
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. land — ground
  8. squash — the sport
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. land — to come down
  11. staff — a stick
  12. suit — to fit
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. staff — employees
  16. bat — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. squash — to crush
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — a monarch

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