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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 120 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: stand · dip · cue · rash · squash · ruler · wind · calf

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. rash — hasty
  3. wind — moving air
  4. rash — a series
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. cue — a signal
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. dip — to sink
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. squash — the sport
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. squash — to crush
  17. cue — for pool
  18. stand — to bear
  19. cue — a hint
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. wind — moving air

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