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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
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: land · staff · kick · rash · ruler · bark · rock · squash

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. rash — a series
  3. rock — music
  4. staff — employees
  5. bark — to shout
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. squash — the sport
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. rock — a stone
  10. land — to come down
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. squash — to crush
  13. kick — in football
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. staff — employees
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. staff — a stick
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. land — ground

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