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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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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: wax · mine · ruler · straw · lash · cue · rule · squash

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. cue — a signal
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. cue — for pool
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. rule — a law
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. squash — to crush
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. wax — to grow
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mine — for digging
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. cue — a hint
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. squash — the sport
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. rule — government

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