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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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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: rash · sharp · jam · squash · last · hide

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

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. sharp — clever
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. last — to go on
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. last — finally
  9. rash — a series
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. squash — to crush
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. squash — the sport
  17. last — final
  18. 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