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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: bulb · land · pit · mine · cue · ruler · lie · squash

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — a hint
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. land — to come down
  8. mine — for digging
  9. land — a country
  10. pit — a hole
  11. cue — for pool
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bulb — for light
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. land — ground
  17. pit — in a race
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. lie — to recline

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