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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: cue · chair · squash · lean · rest · ruler · clip · calf

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. lean — thin
  3. clip — for paper
  4. rest — what's left
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. rest — what's left
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. clip — a video
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. squash — the sport
  11. squash — to crush
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. rest — a break
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — for pool
  18. clip — to cut
  19. chair — a leader
  20. lean — to bend
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. cue — a hint
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. ruler — for measuring

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