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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: squash · staff · bound · wake · deal · bass · ruler · rest

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. staff — employees
  3. bound — tied together
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bound — certain
  8. bass — low music
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bound — obliged
  11. deal — to handle
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. squash — the sport
  14. staff — employees
  15. squash — to crush
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. rest — what's left
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. rest — what's left
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. wake — a trail
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. staff — a stick

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