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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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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: stick · ruler · sharp · cue · wound · deal · rule · squash

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. rule — a law
  3. deal — to handle
  4. rule — government
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. squash — the sport
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — for pool
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. wound — an injury
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. sharp — clever
  20. wound — an injury
  21. squash — to crush
  22. cue — a signal
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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