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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. tube — a container
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — magic
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. staff — employees
  7. ball — a dance
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. rock — a stone
  11. squash — to crush
  12. spell — a short time
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. staff — a stick
  16. tube — the underground
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. ball — a great time
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. rock — music
  22. staff — employees
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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