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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: squash · game · staff · mate · ruler · swing · fan · arm

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. squash — to crush
  4. swing — to play on
  5. mate — a partner
  6. game — a match
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. swing — music
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. game — wild animals
  15. squash — the sport
  16. mate — to breed
  17. swing — in golf
  18. staff — employees
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. staff — a stick
  21. staff — employees
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — for measuring

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