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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: ruler · fine · rush · squash · bear · ball · ground · lean

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fine — all right
  3. rush — hurry
  4. ball — a great time
  5. squash — to crush
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. lean — to bend
  8. ball — a dance
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bear — the animal
  12. ground — a position
  13. lean — thin
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. ground — crushed
  20. squash — the sport
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. ball — a round shape

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