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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: plane · lie · hand · squash · pop · ruler · toast · mate

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. pop — music
  3. hand — in cards
  4. toast — bread
  5. mate — to breed
  6. pop — soda
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. hand — help
  11. plane — a tool
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. squash — to crush
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. pop — to visit
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. lie — to recline
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. mate — a friend
  22. squash — the sport
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. mate — a partner

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