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

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. last — finally
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the sport
  7. chip — to eat
  8. sharp — clever
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rash — a series
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. chip — for betting
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. last — to go on
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. last — final
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. rash — hasty

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